Priyanshu Moliya. [Source - @priyanshu_moliya/Instagram]The BCCI has announced the Rest of India U23 squad for the upcoming clash against Col. C. K. Nayudu Trophy champions Tamil Nadu. The Junior Cricket Committee named the squad for the contest, which will be held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.The Rest of India U23 vs Tamil Nadu U23 clash is scheduled to begin on October 1 and will run until October 4. Priyanshu Moliya is one significant name in the squad, with the youngster handed a major role in the Rest of India side.Rest of India U23 Squad for Clash Against Tamil Nadu U23The BCCI has announced a 15-member Rest of India U23 squad for the upcoming clash against Tamil Nadu, the 2025-26 Col. C. K. Nayudu Trophy champions. Priyanshu Moliya has been named captain for the contest, with Angkrish Raghuvanshi serving as his deputy.The squad features several promising young names, but the biggest talking point is Priyanshu Moliya being handed the captaincy. The all-rounder has already made a mark in domestic cricket, making his rise and leadership role worth a closer look.Rest of India U23 squad: Priyanshu Moliya (C), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (VC), Ayush Jethwa, Manan Bhat, Digvijay Patil, Raxit Mehta, Aravelly Avanish Rao (WK), Mayank Verma (WK), Emanjot Singh Chahal, Chandraraj Rathod, Varun Singh Bhuie, Ganesh Suthar, Nikhil Giri, Chetan Sharma, G Sumith.Who Is Priyanshu Moliya? All You Need To Know About Rest of India U23 CaptainPriyanshu Moliya is a 21-year-old promising talent born in Rajkot, Gujarat, who represents Baroda in domestic cricket. He has been on the radar since his age-group days, progressing through Baroda’s youth setup before taking on leadership responsibilities.Moliya also captained Baroda U23 in the Col. C. K. Nayudu Trophy and represented India at the 2024 U19 World Cup. The right-hander can bat anywhere, although No. 3 has always seemed to be his best batting position.Priyanshu Moliya's Stats for Baroda U19Cooch Behar Trophy (2021–22): 429 runs in 9 innings at an average of 53.63.Cooch Behar Trophy (2022–23): 391 runs in 7 innings at an average of 55.86.Vinoo Mankad Trophy (2022–23): 131 runs in 3 innings at an average of 43.87.A run-machine on his day, Moliya possesses significant experience despite his age. He made his first-class debut for Baroda aged just 17 in the Ranji Trophy in 2022 and immediately took the Indian domestic stage by storm.The Wonderkid Who Hit a Ranji Trophy Century at 17Priyanshu Moliya announced himself in first-class cricket with a century on his Ranji Trophy debut for Baroda at just 17. Batting at No. 6, he scored 118 against Odisha before following it up with 144 against Haryana.That meant centuries in each of his first two first-class matches, something that highlighted just how special the teenager’s batting promise was. Doing it at 17 made his start even more remarkable and quickly put Moliya among Baroda’s exciting young prospects.Also Read: Who Is Nachiket Bhute? The Surprise Name In India A’s Squad For Australia A SeriesPriyanshu Moliya’s Journey Had Its Dips, But Now He Leads Rest of India U23Priyanshu Moliya’s promising start in the Ranji Trophy did not lead to a consistent run in senior cricket. After scoring 479 runs in seven matches in his first season, he could play only one first-class match for Baroda since the end of 2022-23 season.He represented the India U19 side in U19 World Cup 2024, but success was hard to come by. He scored only 190 runs at 27.14, with one half-century, while mostly batting out of position for India U19.However, Moliya has started finding his way back through performances for Baroda U23 team in 2024-25 season. TournamentInningsRunsAverageCol. C. K. Nayudu Trophy 2024–25SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table7SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table378SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table54.00SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableState A Trophy 2024–25SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table6SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table289SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table48.17SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table (Priyanshu Moliya U23 Stats in 2024-25 season)Moliya then went on to make his List A debut in the 2025-26 season and made an immediate impact, scoring 379 runs at an average of 63.16. He also smashed centuries in his final two matches for Baroda in Vijay Hazare Trophy.His recent performances have brought him back into the BCCI’s U23 plans, and that progress has now earned him the biggest leadership opportunity of his young career. Moliya has been named captain of the Rest of India U23 squad against Tamil Nadu.Also Read: Abrar Ahmed Becomes Number 1 Ranked T20I Bowler, English Pacer Jumps 47 Places
