Australia have named a 16-member Under-19 squad for next month's multi-format tour of India. The selectors have included two players from their ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 campaign in the squad, who will play three one-day matches and two Youth Tests during the tour.
Notably, the tour begins on September 18 and forms an important part of Cricket Australia's pathway program in subcontinent conditions. The team will play the three one-day matches in Rajkot before travelling to Ahmedabad for two four-day Youth Tests under head coach Tim Nielsen.
Australia Announce Under-19 Squad for India Tour
Queensland has the highest representation in the 16-player squad with five players, while New South Wales and Victoria have three players each. Cricket Australia Head of National Development Sonya Thompson stated that the tour is important for the country's emerging talent.
"We are really pleased to provide the opportunity to some of Australia's best young players to continue their development as part of our pathways program."
"Touring India and playing against high-quality opposition in challenging conditions will be a valuable experience and test the players technically and mentally across formats."
Australia Under-19 squad vs India: Kasey Barton, Hayden Barbulovic, Eli Brain, Will Byrom, Blake Cattle, Jack Czosnek, Spencer Green, Connor Gregory, Charlie Henderson, Zed Hollick, Matthew Lough, Neel Patel, Jacob Pietz, Patrick Sullivan, Theo Tsingos, Thomas Vaseo.
Australia Under-19 Tour Schedule Confirmed for Rajkot and Ahmedabad
Australia Under-19 will begin the tour with a three-match one-day series in Rajkot from September 18 to September 23. The matches will give both teams valuable white-ball preparation before switching to the longer format.
Notably, the teams will play two four-day Youth Tests from September 27 to October 8 in Ahmedabad. Tim Nielsen will oversee the entire tour as Australia continues preparing its young players for international cricket in subcontinental conditions.
Cricket Australia selection chair George Bailey also confirmed that Australia A will play two first-class matches in India during September. The tour overlaps with Australia's ODI series in South Africa, allowing some players to prioritize red-ball cricket in India ahead of next year's Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Cricket Australia Development Squad Arrives in Chennai for MRF Program
Ahead of the Under-19 tour, Cricket Australia's 12-member Development squad has arrived in Chennai for the annual MRF Academy Program. The squad will play two multi-day matches on spin-friendly pitches on August 5-6 and August 10-11 as part of its preparation.
The squad includes Australia T20I player Joel Davies, 2024 Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Hugh Weibgen, and off-spinner Rafael MacMillan, who claimed three wickets in the 2024 Under-19 World Cup final against India.
Former Under-19 captain Jason Sangha and leg-spinner Lloyd Pope also bring valuable experience to the group. The MRF Academy program remains an important part of Cricket Australia's development pathway, giving players exposure to Indian conditions.
Australia's MRF Tour Academy squad: Aryan Sharma, Doug Warren, Hugh Weibgen, Jack Sinfield, Jason Sangha, Jayden Goodwin, Joel Davies, Lloyd Pope, Matt Gilkes, Rafael MacMillan, Riley Kingsell, Steven Hogan.
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