Samit Dravid, son of Rahul Dravid, ex-India captain and head coach, will have to wait for his India U19 debut. Samit Dravid, who was picked in the India U19 team for the four-day matches against Australia A, suffered a knee injury and his recovery will take longer.
India’s Under-19 team is set to play their first four-day Test match in over five years against Australia Under-19s at Chepauk.
Samit Dravid had previously been ruled out of the recent three-match one-day series against the Australia Under-19s due to a knee problem.
Fans had high hopes of seeing Samit play for India. He was included in both the white-ball and red-ball squads of India Under-19s for the series against Australia Under-19s. However, he missed the one-day series and is now rehabbing at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
Hrishikesh Kanitkar confirms Samit Dravid to miss the four-day game for India U19
Following outstanding performances for Mysuru Warriors in the Maharaja T20 Trophy, the youthful all-rounder received his maiden call-up to the India Under-19s side. He contributed significantly to Karnataka’s triumph in the Cooch Behar Trophy. However, he will be ineligible to compete in the 2026 Under-19 World Cup.
Hrishikesh Kanitkar, the India Under-19s coach, is unsure when Samit Dravid will return from a knee injury. He stated that Dravid is presently receiving rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy and is unlikely to be available for the next four-day matches against the Australian Under-19s.
“As of now, he’s at the NCA, recovering from his knee injury. So, [I] don’t know yet. It looks unlikely,” Kanitkar said as per ESPNCricinfo.
Samit, who is now 18, will not be eligible for the next Under-19 World Cup in 2026. According to ICC standards, any player eligible for the Under-19 World Cup must be under the age of 19 by August 31, 2025. However, Samit will turn 19 on October 11, making him ineligible for the 2026 Under-19 World Cup.
It’s A Great Initiative To Play Test Games – Hrishikesh Kanitkar
The maiden youth Test against Australia Under-19s, which begins on Monday at Chepauk, will be India’s first four-day match in almost five years. Kanitkar also discussed the Indian players’ experience of red-ball cricket against some Australian players on the periphery of Sheffield Shield selection.
“I think it’s a great initiative to play Test games because red-ball [cricket] really tests you. There’s enough time for the bowlers to plan and [make] strategies. So, for both batters and bowlers and even fielders, it’s the ideal challenge to see where you stand. I think to be able to play against a foreign side is a great thing. I know a lot of people, including myself who played Under-19 cricket against foreign teams and it really helped us a lot. So, I think it’s going to be magnificent for the players,” Kanitkar added.
India Under-19s is coming into the four-day Test series against Australia Under-19s after a successful 3-0 win in the recent one-day series in Puducherry.
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