U-19 Asia Cup: Aaryavir Shewag and Anvay Dravid Make the Cut as Lakshya Raichandani Leads India's 15-Member Squad

India has announced its 15-member squad for the Under-19 Asia Cup, and as expected, the headline selections are Aaryavir Shewag and Anvay Dravid — the sons of two of Indian cricket's biggest names. Lakshya Raichandani will lead the side, with Yashvardhan Chauhan named as his deputy. The tournament will be played in Muscat, Oman from 4 to 14 November. India is placed in Group A alongside Nepal, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. Group B consists of Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. The top two teams from each group progress to the semi-finals. India enters the tournament in excellent form. In September–October, the Under-19 side whitewashed Australia 2-0 in the four-day series and completed a 3-0 clean sweep in the one-day series. Earlier, on the tour of Sri Lanka, India won the two-match four-day series 1-0 but lost the one-day series 2-1. Raichandani was outstanding with the bat in the four-day series against Australia, scoring 250 runs in three innings, including a superb 240 in the first match. Chauhan was India's leading batter in the one-day series, making 176 runs in two innings with a century in the second match. Aaryavir scored 28, 47 and 34 in the one-day series against Australia — a sequence of starts that underlined his ability to get in but not yet convert. Anvay, the first-choice wicketkeeper, made 38 and 9 in two matches, having earlier struck 87 off 67 balls in the final one-dayer against Sri Lanka. The squad: Lakshya Raichandani (captain), Aaryavir Shewag, VK Vineet, Yashvardhan Chauhan (vice-captain), Kushagra Ojha, Arjun Rajput, Manal Chauhan, Anvay Dravid (wicketkeeper), Rajat Baghel (wicketkeeper), V. Yashveer, Aryan Savsani, Mohit Ulva, Kavya Patel, Shavin Vinod and Ishan Sud. On paper, India are the strongest side in Group A, but the group is not straightforward. A match against Pakistan at any age level carries its own pressure, while Nepal's junior structure has improved steadily in recent years. The UAE, meanwhile, will have the advantage of familiarity with local conditions. India's greatest strength is squad depth. The selection features two wicketkeepers, multiple all-rounders and a variety of bowling options, giving Raichandani the flexibility to change combinations based on the opposition and the pitch. Muscat surfaces generally offer some early assistance to the seamers before spin comes into play, making toss and bowling changes crucial. Much of the scrutiny will fall on Aaryavir and Anvay. The discussion around whether they have been picked on merit or on name is inevitable and, given their recent performances at Under-19 level, largely answerable — but the pressure on them will be greater than on anyone else in the squad. How the team management shields them from that noise will matter. India have historically been among the most successful sides in the Under-19 Asia Cup, but the competition has tightened considerably in recent editions, with Bangladesh and Pakistan closing the gap. India's recent form, the leadership of Raichandani and Chauhan, and the balance of the attack make them strong title contenders — but in a ten-day tournament where every match matters, paper strength counts for very little.