BCCI bans India Under-19 player Rohit Yadav for age fraud

Dubai: While India’s Under-19 squad has always been in the news for the good reasons, groundbreaking report related to one of the players has surfaced. Rohit Yadav, a leg-spinner who recently was part of India’s Under-19 tour of Sri Lanka in July, now faces a two year ban over age fraud.

Yadav picked one wicket in two games while giving away 94 runs in the series. Now, months later, a pre-season documentation drive by Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) revealed that Yadav has an age discrepancy of 27 months. The bowler was previously listed as an 18-year-old which helped him get into the India’s youth team.

Apart from Yadav, CAB has also barred 64 other players for age discrepancies. The leg spinner was part of the upcoming tour against Australia U-19 but has since been withdrawn from the squad. The ban was imposed by BCCI, who have been firm against the age fraud cases for a very long time.

The cricket governing body proposed an amnesty scheme in 2020 which would make all registered players voluntarily reveal any discrepancies. BCCI also suggested to avoid any suspension if the players disclosed the actual age. Along with Yadav, former India Under-19 World Cup winner Ravi Kumar also faces the punishment.

He represented the Indian youth team in the 2022 Under-19 World Cup and even played in the final. According to Cricinfo, Kumar’s age discrepancy is over 40 months. All Under-19 players must submit their birth certificates along with as school or college documents to maintain transparency around the age.

Yet some managed to escape the system and find a spot in the youth squad. With Kumar also facing the same punishment as Yadav, the former U-19 World Cup winner will have all of his age group records until the 2025-26 season deemed invalid.