On Saturday, August 31, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the upcoming multi-format series between India and Australia’s under-19 teams in September and October. One of the notable selections was Samit, the son of the legendary India batter and former head coach Rahul Dravid, securing spots in India’s both the red-ball and white-ball sides.
Notably, 18-year-old Samit is currently playing for the Mysuru Warriors in the ongoing KSCA Maharaja T20 Trophy in Bengaluru. The pace-bowling all-rounder was not called upon to bowl his medium pace in the tournament. Batting in the middle-order his performances have been underwhelming, having only scored 82 runs from seven innings at an average of 11.71 and a strike rate of 113.88, with the highest score being 33 runs.
Additionally, his team, Mysuru Warriors are scheduled to play the semi-final of the tournament against Hubli Tigers on the day India’s Under-19 squad is announced. The match is scheduled to be held at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Despite his recent struggles, the 18-year-old had a remarkable season in the Cooch Behar Trophy earlier in 2024. He played a crucial role in Karnataka’s historic maiden win in the competition, scoring 362 runs in eight matches. The teenager’s standout performance came against Jammu & Kashmir, where he showcased his prowess and amassed 98 runs. He was exceptional with the ball as well, finishing with 16 wickets from as many matches, including two crucial dismissals against Mumbai in the final.
In addition, Uttar Pradesh’s Mohammad Aman will lead India in the upcoming three-match one-day series, which is set to be held in Puducherry on September 21, 23, and 26. Following this series, the squad will travel to Chennai for two four-day games starting on September 30 and October 7, where Madhya Pradesh’s Soham Patwardhan will lead the Indian side.
India U-19 Squad for one-day series: Rudra Patel (VC) (GCA), Sahil Parakh (MAHCA), Kartikeya KP (KSCA), Mohd Amaan (C) (UPCA), Kiran Chormale (MAHCA), Abhigyan Kundu (WK) (MCA), Harvansh Singh Pangalia (WK) (SCA), Samit Dravid (KSCA), Yudhajit Guha (CAB), Samarth N (KSCA), Nikhil Kumar (UTCA), Chetan Sharma (RCA), Hardik Raj (KSCA), Rohit Rajawat (MPCA), Mohd Enaan (KCA)
India U-19 Squad for four-day series: Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Bihar CA), Nitya Pandya (BCA), Vihan Malhotra (VC) (PCA), Soham Patwardhan (C) (MPCA), Kartikeya K P (KSCA), Samit Dravid (KSCA), Abhigyan Kundu (WK) (MCA), Harvansh Singh Pangalia (WK) (SCA), Chetan Sharma (RCA), Samarth N (KSCA), Aditya Rawat (CAU), Nikhil Kumar (UTCA), Anmoljeet Singh (PCA), Aditya Singh (UPCA), Mohd Enaan (KCA)
