Smit Patel was one of the key figures behind India's 2012 ICC U19 World Cup triumph. His contributions with then the captain of U19 India, skipper Unmukt Chand, in the final match against Australia are on the pages of cricket history. But unfortunately, the highly talented keeper-batter could not make his way to the senior team. In fact, very few cricketers from that U19 side were able to lead their careers at the highest level of the game. Where is Smit Patel now, who scored an unbeaten 62 off 84 to secure India's U19 WC trophy?

He has now moved to the United States of America to represent their national team. The last time he played for the USA was on May 27, 2025, against Oman. He made 41 runs against 47 balls; the USA scored 293 and eventually won the game. Patel made his international debut for the USA last year on August 13. 

The Gujarat-born played for multiple franchises in various T20 leagues. He was in action during this year's Major League Cricket for the Texas Super Kings. Though his performance was not up to the mark. In 8 matches and 6 innings for Super Kings, the 32-year-old got 100 runs in total, including a 38-run innings, which shaped his average to only 16.66. Unlike his batting performances, he was sharp behind the wickets, taking 5 clean catches. 

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Patel participated in the Caribbean Premier League back in 2021 with the Barbados Royals. He scored a half century for Royals, but his overall stats were underwhelming. In 4 CPL innings, he bagged only 70 runs in total. 

In 2021, Smit Patel left all systems under BCCI's governance to pursue his career in the USA. "It's been a different sort of a journey. Starting with the highs of the Under-19 World Cup, then the frustration of not finding a place as a wicketkeeper, and then moving four teams (Gujarat, Tripura, Goa, and Baroda) within India for opportunities," he said before. 

A new age wave on August 26, 2012 lashed on Townsville. A small town, away from hustling and bustling, flooded in blue as India won their third Under 19 ICC World Cup, defeating Australia. Unmukt Chand, then the captain of India U19, led his team to the glory. Chand played an unbeatable 111 off 130 to secure the match and the trophy for Team India. For the World Cup, a group of boys were all together for about 18 months, grew together, and conquered the opponents—India was undoubtedly the deserving champion of the 2012 U19 WC. 

Talking about the match, Australia went to bat first and lost 4 wickets in quick intervals. Their middle order started to give India the real fight. William Bosisto, then the captain of U19 Australia, Travis Head, and Ashton Turner stood tall against the Indian bowling attack. Bosisto remained not out for 87, Head scored 37, Turner got 43, and Australia in total registered 225/8 on the scoreboard. Fast bowler Sandeep Sharma, in peak form, clinched 4 wickets in the process in his 4-over spell. The spinners kept the Australian strike rate close to the ground. 

The target was not too big, but Australians were not there with the intention to roam Team India on the ground without any hesitation. Joel Paris and Ashton Turner tried to control India's batting attack as much as possible. Prashant Chopra went for a duck, but his opening partner, Unmukt Chand, left no stones unturned.

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Chand was the man under spotlight 

He remained firm on the track until his team secured the much-desired victory. Facing 130 balls, the top-order batsman remained unbeaten for 111. Hanuma Vihari and Vijay Zol's quick dismissal did not bother the Men in Blue, as Baba Aparajith (33) and then Smit Patel (62*) supported their skipper well. India chased down the target of 226 in 47.4 overs, losing only 4 scalps. 

"I do not know what is happening right now. Thankful to God, I have taken the team through. The Aussies played really well, but we came out on top. Townsville has been amazing for us," Chand said after the match. 

Virat Kohli's retirement from Test cricket created a void in Team India's playing combination. Newly appointed captain Shubman Gill has been in phenomenal form batting at number 4 in the Whites. After taking retirements from T20I and then from the Test, he was available only to play in the ODI format.

Test, ODI, and T20I—all are different ball games, and Virat Kohli cemented his legacy in all three avenues. As the batting maestro is now 36, Team India needs someone who can serve the side for a long time. Through several domestic tournaments and the Indian Premier League, multiple young talents displayed their potential with their fluent batting performances.

One of the most discussed prodigies in recent times is undoubtedly Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The 14-year-old batting sensation, scouted by Rajasthan Royals, glittered in IPL 2025 with his surprisingly swift hitting skills. After the inclusion of this season's Indian Premier League, the Bihar-born batter has been doing wonders in England with the Under 19 India team.

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Suryavanshi in jersey no. 18

IND U19 is currently in England for the ongoing multi-format series against the home team. So far, the touring side has played well, as Suryavanshi has done individually with the brigade in blue. During the youth test between India U19 and England U19, Vaibhav was spotted in Jersey no. 18.

During the youth test match in Beckenham, the batter smashed a 56-run innings in the second innings of the match. Before the long-format game, the southpaw got a 143-run innings in the bag and a useful 86-run innings against England U19. A recently published video on social media platforms showed the increasing fan following of the young run machine. 

Vaibhav Suryavanshi's sharp rise has made him an instant hit. The 14-year-old is now being viewed as the next big thing in world cricket. Some record-breaking knocks in the IPL 2025, followed by his recent all-round exploits in the multi-format Youth tour in England, Suryavanshi is undoubtedly in the midst of a stellar run. His recent performances have allowed him to grow in stature and cement his position on the big stage. 

The youngster has already started making some heads turn, and there are tell-tale signs to suggest that his form is likely going to surge exponentially from this point onwards. Following the end of the first Youth Test at Beckenham, fans gathered around to get his autograph. Noticeably, a handful of number of young supporters from the English crowd turned up to have their personal belongings signed with Suryavanshi's signature on them. 

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Watch the video here:

The fan following of 14 year old Vaibhav Suryavanshi in England. 🤯

- He's making a mark! (Bharat Sharma). pic.twitter.com/ubX09wBNNx

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 15, 2025

By now, it has become evidently clear that the young swashbuckling batter is already starting to make his mark. His all-round contribution of 2-35 with the ball and a rapid fifty in the second innings made him receive a significant amount of praise from the English supporters. Suryavanshi continues to be in a record-breaking spree and has unlocked another record for himself following the end of the Beckenham Youth Test. The 14-year-old has become the youngest Indian to take a wicket in the history of Youth Tests.

Previously, in the recently concluded Youth ODI series, the Bihar-born batter went on a rampage, amassing a stunning 355 runs, including a match-winning 143 in the fourth YODI. 

After the successful Youth ODI series against the hosts England U19, India U19 started the Youth Test series strongly, courtesy of a strong century by the captain Ayush Mhatre. 

While India U19 won the Youth ODI series by 3-2 in the ongoing England tour, the visitors are now busy in the two-match Youth Test series against the hosts, starting on Saturday (July 12). After India U19 captain Ayush Mhatre chose to bat first, the stunning youth opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi fell early by scoring only 14 runs after 13 balls with three fours. 

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India U19 captain Ayush Mhatre scored century

However, captain Ayush Mhatre, the other opener, took the responsibility to set up a strong base along with the no.3 batter Vihaan Malhotra. They had a 173-run partnership for the second wicket, where both batters impressed. The India U19 skipper batted superbly and slammed a 107-ball century. He scored 102 runs off 115 balls with 14 fours and two sixes before Archie Vaughan, the former English captain Michael Vaughan's son, dismissed him. 

At the stumps on the first day of the four-day match, India U19 scored 450/7. Vihaan Malhotra scored 67 runs, while the middle-order batters Abhigyan Kundu and Rahul Kumar scored 90 and 85 runs, respectively. 

Who is Ayush Mhatre?

The 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre has already made his IPL debut in the last season. Serving for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as a replacement for the injured Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mhatre scored 240 runs in seven innings with an average of 34.28 and a strike rate of 188.97. Despite playing only half the matches of the season for his team, he finished as the third leading run-scorer for his team this season. Apart from scoring 94 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he also played crucial knocks of 32, 30, 43, and 34 against Mumbai Indians, SunRisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, and Gujarat Titans, respectively, in the IPL 2025. 

Last December, Mhatre set a world record by becoming the youngest player to score 150+ runs in List A cricket history (17 years and 168 days). He has already played nine first-class matches and seven List A games, and he has hit two centuries in each format, apart from one more half-century. While his highest List A score is 181 runs, his batting average in this format is 65.42. 

Ahead of the India Under-19 team’s month-long trip to England, team skipper Ayush Mhatre had a special meeting with senior Indian batter Rohit Sharma. Mhatre met Rohit at his home on Wednesday, where the Indian ODI captain presented him with an autographed bat. Posting about the experience on Instagram, the young opener captioned, "A bat, a blessing, and a memory of a lifetime—thank you, Rohit da," capturing the sentiment behind the meeting.

India U-19 are on tour in England from June 24 until July 23, where they will have a 50-over warm-up match, a five-match Youth ODI series, and two multi-day matches against the England U-19 team. The tour is an important development chance for India's next crop of players, particularly following an exciting domestic and IPL campaign for some of the young players chosen.

The BCCI has officially announced two replacements in the team. D. Deepesh and Naman Pushpak are included in place of Aditya Rana and Khilan Patel, respectively, both of whom were injured during the Bengaluru high-performance camp. Mhatre, who also had a good IPL 2025 season for Chennai Super Kings, will captain the team, and 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who made a splash with his record-breaking century for Rajasthan Royals, will also be included in the team.

Full Tour Schedule and Key Players to Watch

India U-19 will begin the tour with a 50-over warm-up game on June 24 against Loughborough University, before ODIs on June 27 (Hove), June 30 and July 2 (Northampton), and July 5 & 7 (Worcester). Following the white-ball segment, they will contest two red-ball games—the first from July 12 to 15 in Beckenham and the second from July 20 to 23 in Chelmsford.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Ayush Mhatre (@ayush_m255)

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Ayush Mhatre, who made 206 runs in IPL 2025 at a strike rate of 187.27, is the captain of a gifted team consisting of explosive Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The team also has budding stars in Abhigyan Kundu and Mohammed Enaan and is well-balanced in terms of youth and experience.

India U-19 Team: Ayush Mhatre (Captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Vihaan Malhotra, Maulyarajsinh Chavda, Rahul Kumar, Abhigyan Kundu (Vice-Captain & WK), Harvansh Singh (WK), R. S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Henil Patel, Yudhajit Guha, Pranav Raghavendra, Mohammed Enaan, Anmoljeet Singh, D. Deepesh, Naman Pushpak.

India Under-19 secured a dominant nine-wicket win over Australia in the second Youth ODI on Monday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Opener Sahil Parakh's aggressive unbeaten century led the charge as India comfortably chased down a target of 177 in just 22 overs. The series win comes after India had defeated Australia by seven wickets in the first match.

Parakh’s unbeaten hundred steers India to victory

Sahil Parakh, a 19-year-old from Mumbai, delivered an outstanding performance with the bat, scoring 109 not out off just 75 balls, including 14 fours and 5 sixes. His explosive innings helped India race to the target with ease after the early loss of Rudra Patel (10). Parakh formed a formidable partnership with Abhigyan Kundu, who contributed 53 not out from 50 balls, hitting 9 boundaries. Together, they stitched a 153-run stand that ensured India’s comfortable victory, finishing the chase in 22 overs.

Earlier, Australia had set a modest target of 177 after being bowled out for 176 in 49.3 overs. Parakh’s ton was the highlight of the match, securing India a series win with one match still to be played.

India’s bowling unit put in a solid performance to limit Australia to a below-par total. Karnataka medium pacer Samarth Nagaraj (2/34), Kerala leg-spinner Mohammed Enaan (2/30), and off-spinner Kiran Chormale (2/29) were instrumental, each taking two wickets. Their disciplined bowling effort prevented Australia’s batters from building any significant partnerships.

Australia’s middle-order batter Addison Sheriff top-scored with 39 off 61 balls, while Christian Howe added 28. However, several other Australian batters got starts but could not convert, with India’s bowlers striking regularly to dismiss them for 176.

Inconsequential final ODI and upcoming Tests

With the series already sealed, the third and final ODI becomes a formality, set to be played on Thursday. Following the conclusion of the ODI series, both teams will head to Chennai for two unofficial Tests, starting on September 30.

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Brief Scores:

Australia U19: 176 all out in 49.3 overs (Addison Sheriff 39, Christian Howe 28; Samarth Nagaraj 2/34, Mohammed Enaan 2/30, Kiran Chormale 2/29).

India U19: 177/1 in 22 overs (Sahil Parakh 109 not out, Abhigyan Kundu 53 not out).

India won by 9 wickets.

India Winning World Cups always leads to changes as the health of the game in India continues to climb. The 1983 World Cup allowed the Men’s team to believe they are competitors in the Cricketing World. It led to a lot of people picking up a cricket bat and ball for the future. In 2007, the T20 World Cup win saw the start of the IPL which has helped India unearth a lot of new talent, and also give players opportunities outside the national team to secure a future for themselves.

The Women’s Under-19 World Cup now leads speculations of what could come in the future. A Women’s IPL has already been announced, and with an other World Cup set to begin in a few weeks, the Women’s team has a lot to look forward to in the coming months.

For a side to improve they ideally would want to play a lot more cricket, against the tough nations. The Indian Under-19 side has now allowed India to believe that they can play against the tough sides, and that they also have talent waiting behind them.

Their approach to start with for the World Cup was brilliant. Rather than trying out new players, and experimenting, India went straight on for the win, knowing what a Womens World Cup win would mean for their future.

They picked Shafali Verma, who has been with the senior team for quiet sometime, allowing the Under-19 team to have a player who knows what its like to play on the big stage. Shafali Verma was a part of some of India’s toughest moments, including the T20 World Cup loss at Melbourne, and knows how defeat feels.

With her in as captain, the other players automatically had a lot of pressure lifted as they could then go about their own skills, focusing and polishing them off. With a World Cup to win, each of the girls in the line-up came up and fought. Shweta Sehrawat, the vice-captain, was incredible with the bat and led the side with runs on the board. With the ball, India took a punt with three spinners in their elevens for most games.

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Mannat Kashyap, Archana Devi and Parshavi Chopra together combined with the ball, complimented each other well and were focused on the areas they needed to bowl. With each spinner capable of bowling in a certain part of the innings, the way Shafali used her spinners was easily balanced.

When it came to seam bowling, India had some issues. Young seamers, inconsistency and injury has been a common issue for India. A bowler who stood out here though is Titas Sadhu. She did not start, but once she got her opportunity she made the most of it, looking good even on flat tracks which had bowlers going all over the place.

The other pacers were just as good in their opportunity with Shabnam, Yashasri and Falak all proving that they can hit the deck nicely with their pace. With the pacers doing well, India now find a nice back-up for Renuka Singh, who is already doing a fine job with the new-ball. The spinners too allow the senior team a lot more cushion, especially when they play on slow tracks.

The triumph has allowed India to identify their depth, and also get a group of players who believe they can win. With that belief starting, India can see a lot of positives, especially with a Womens IPL allowing the same group more games under pressure.