Bhavika Ahire to lead India U19 as BCCI unveils squads for SL U19 white-ball series

Mumbai, June 11 (IANS) India’s pathway programme for emerging women’s cricketers will take centre stage later this month as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads and schedule for the upcoming Under-19 white-ball series against Sri Lanka at home.

The six-match assignment, comprising three T20s in Chennai and three One-Day matches in Puducherry, is set to provide another important testing ground for players pushing to establish themselves in India’s growing youth cricket ecosystem.

The announcement highlights Bhavika Ahire’s elevation as wicketkeeper-batter and captain in both formats, reflecting her leadership qualities and recent age-group cricket performances.

Supporting her will be Mahak Narwase, appointed vice-captain for both the T20 and One-Day teams. This leadership pair will manage a squad composed of players who have progressively advanced through domestic and junior levels.

While the selectors have maintained a strong core across both formats, the squads also feature a blend of specialist options tailored to the demands of T20 and 50-over cricket. The continuity suggests a long-term focus on developing combinations and identifying players capable of progressing through the national pathway.

Several youngsters have retained the confidence of the selectors across both squads, including Ira Jadhav, Ishwari Awasare, Purva Siwach, Kumari Palak, Kashvi Kandikuppa, Gouri Goyal, Janvi Vikar and Anaadi Tagde. Their inclusion in both formats underlines their growing stature within the junior setup and offers them an opportunity to gain valuable international exposure.

The series comes at a significant time for women’s age-group cricket, with the Under-19 structure becoming an increasingly important stepping stone toward higher honours. Bilateral contests against overseas opposition provide young players with experiences that domestic cricket alone cannot replicate, including adapting to pressure situations, handling unfamiliar opponents and adjusting to different game scenarios.

India’s women’s cricket system has increasingly benefited from a strong developmental pipeline, with several players successfully transitioning from youth cricket to the senior national side in recent years. The upcoming series against Sri Lanka will therefore be closely watched by selectors and team management as they continue to assess the next wave of talent to build up for the next U19 World Cup.

T20 squad: Bhavika Ahire (c & wk), Ira Jadhav, Tanishka Sharma, Ishwari Awasare, Avni Chawda, Mahto Nidhi, Purva Siwach, Kumari Palak, Mahak Narwase (vc), Kashvi Kandikuppa, Maniar Maitri, Gouri Goyal, Janhavi Virkar, Anaadi Tagde, K Deeksha (wk)

One-Day squad: Bhavika Ahire (c & wk), Ira Jadhav, Deeya Yadav, Ishwari Awasare, V Pratiksha, Mahto Nidhi, Purva Siwach, Kumari Palak, Mahak Narwase (vc), Kashvi Kandikuppa, Vidhi Parmar, Gouri Goyal, Janhavi Virkar, Anaadi Tagde, K Deeksha (wk)

T20I Schedule:

June 22: 1st T20

June 24: 2nd T20

June 27: 3rd T20

(All matches to be played in Chennai)

ODI Schedule:

June 30: 1st OD

July 3: 2nd OD

July 6: 3rd OD

(All matches to be played in Puducherry)

–IANS

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