Tendulkar Jr, Devdutt in India U-19 squad

All-rounder Arjun Tendulkar, son of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, and Karnataka’s rising batsman Devdutt Padikkal have been named in the India Under-19 squad for the tour of Lanka. 

The All India Junior Selection Committee met on Thursday in Bengaluru to pick the U-19 squads for the two four-day games and five one-day matches against Sri Lanka. The tour will begin on July 11 and conclude on August 11. W V Raman has been named the head coach. 

Arjun drew eyeballs when he bowled in the ‘nets’ ahead of a Test match between England and South Africa last year at Lord’s. The left-arm pacer surprised the England wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow with a yorker that struck his toe. Arjun has been named only in the squad for the four-day games.

The youngster also played for Mumbai in the Y Lele invitational one-day under-19 tournament. He had also bowled in the ‘nets’ during India’s home series against New Zealand last year. Anuj Rawat of Delhi has been named the skipper of the four-day squad. Arjun didn’t find his name in the one-day squad. 

Devdutt, a left-handed top-order batsman, had a fine season which saw him win the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA)’s best batsman award in the U-19 Vinoo Mankad Trophy and U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy. The 18-year-old, a trainee at the Karnataka Institute of Cricket (KIOC), made it to the Karnataka senior squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy this time. He has found a place in both the squads. The one-day squad will be led by wicketkeeper-batsman Aryan Juyal of Uttar Pradesh.