India squad for U19 Asia Cup announced, Yash Dhull to lead

The All-India Junior Selection Committee has named a strong 20-member India U19 squad for the 2021 ACC U19 Asia Cup, scheduled to take place from December 23 to January 1 in the United Arab Emirates. Yash Dhull has been named as the skipper for the tournament.

Dhull was one of the leading run-scorers in the 2021-22 Vinoo Mankad Trophy, played from September 28 to October 18. He played for DDCA in the event and scored 302 runs from five matches at an average of 75.50 and a strike rate of 103.42.

He also smashed one century and one half-century with his highest individual score of 129 coming against Chhattisgarh in Mohali. His knock was laced with nine fours and three sixes. Dhull was fifth in the list of leading run-scorers in the tournament.

In the meantime, the selectors have also announced a 25-man squad for a preparatory camp to take place from December 11 to 19 at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Along with the 20 members from the U19 squad, five players have been added for the preparatory camp.

Vasu Vats, who picked up a hat-trick against Nagaland in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, has been picked in the squad, but his selection is subject to fitness.

The ICC Men’s U19 World Cup is set to be staged in the West Indies in January-February 2022. The squad for the championship is yet to be announced. Back in 2020, India ended as the runners-up after Priyam Garg and Co. lost to Akbar Ali’s Bangladesh in the final.

As far as the U19 Asia Cup is concerned, India have won the tournament seven out of eight times. Back in 2019, they defeated Bangladesh by five runs in the final at the R Premadasa Stadium.

India U19 Asia Cup squad

Harnoor Singh Pannu, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ansh Gosai, S K Rasheed, Yash Dhull (Captain), Anneshwar Gautam, Siddharth Yadav, Kaushal Tambe, Nishant Sindhu, Dinnesh Bana (wk), Aaradhya Yadav (wk), Rajangad Bawa, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Garv Sangwan, Ravi Kumar, Rishith Reddy, Manav Parakh, Amrit Raj Upadhyay, Vicky Ostwal, Vasu Vats (subject to fitness clearance)

Standby players who will attend preparatory camp at NCA

Ayush Singh Thakur, Uday Saharan, Shashwat Dangwal, Dhanush Gowda, PM Singh Rathore