Samit Dravid, the allrounder and son of former India captain Rahul Dravid, is unlikely to recover in time for the four-day youth Test series against Australia Under-19s in Chennai. The 18-year-old had previously been ruled out of the three-match one-day series due to a knee injury and is still undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
India Under-19 head coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar, speaking ahead of the first four-dayer at Chepauk, expressed uncertainty over Samit’s availability. “As of now, he’s at the NCA, recovering from his knee injury. So, [I] don’t know yet. It looks unlikely,” Kanitkar said.
Samit had earned his maiden call-up to the India Under-19 squad after playing for Mysuru Warriors in the Maharaja T20 Trophy and excelling in the Cooch Behar Trophy, where Karnataka emerged victorious. However, despite his impressive domestic performances, Samit’s knee injury has kept him on the sidelines during this important series against Australia’s youth team.
While Samit had shown great promise, he will not be eligible for the 2026 Under-19 World Cup due to age restrictions. The ICC mandates that players must be under 19 years old as of August 31, 2025, to qualify for the tournament. Samit, who will turn 19 on October 11, will not meet the criteria.
Despite his absence, NCA head VVS Laxman emphasized that the focus is on developing young talent rather than solely preparing for the next World Cup.
“So, now we are playing a series against Australia Under-19 and luckily a lot of the guys who may miss out on the next World Cup are part of this series,” Laxman said.
“So overall the exposure is there and they also are not only restricted or constrained only for the World Cup. We want them to evolve as cricketers and just because someone played India Under-19 or someone didn’t play India Under-19 doesn’t mean that they won’t progress in their career but if they play at the highest level, understand the pressures of a World Cup I think that will enhance their mental strength and also progress as cricketers.”
Laxman’s comments come at a time when the NCA has been inaugurated as a new ‘Centre of Excellence’ in Bengaluru, marking an important step in India’s cricket development framework.
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India Under-19’s Red-Ball Test After Five Years
The upcoming four-day match at Chepauk will be India Under-19’s first red-ball game in over five years. Kanitkar stressed the importance of this format in nurturing well-rounded cricketers, highlighting the exposure the Indian colts will gain by competing against some Australian players on the fringes of Sheffield Shield selection.
“I think it’s a great initiative to play Test games because red-ball [cricket] really tests you,” Kanitkar said. “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.”
India Under-19 enters the four-day series on the back of a 3-0 whitewash in the one-day series in Puducherry. However, Kanitkar remained cautious about the shift in format and the challenging conditions in Chennai, especially with the humidity and unpredictable rain.
“They’re confident and we’ve had a good one-day series,” Kanitkar said. “Having said that, this is a different format altogether. Everything changes and the place is different. So, it’s better to take good things from that and leave the highs back and prepare again.
“Pondicherry was hot as well. It’s very similar [in Chennai], so weather-wise, we’re fine. The pitch is obviously different and we will have a look again tomorrow morning. Let’s see if it rains overnight or not because it’s hot and humid.”
India will be looking to build on their recent momentum, but they may have to do so without one of their most promising young players in Samit Dravid.
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