Two Indian-Origin Cricketers Selected for Australia’s U19 Clash with India
Australia has selected two Indian-origin cricketers, Aryan Sharma from Victoria and Yash Deshmukh from New South Wales, for their U19 men’s squad to face India in a series starting September 21. The tour, running until October 10, is intended as preparation for the ICC U19 Men’s World Cup in 2026, which will take place in Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The exchange series features three 50-over matches and two four-day games, with fixtures set for Brisbane and Mackay. Sharma and Deshmukh earned their places via the selectors at Cricket Australia and state-level talent managers, part of CA’s broader strategy to “develop young players and give them experience in both white-ball and red-ball cricket.”
This selection follows a two-year development cycle comprising a National Cricket Centre camp in Brisbane, a tour to India, and a specialized spin and batting camp in India. As stated, “The series is part of CA’s plan to develop young players and give them experience in both white-ball and red-ball cricket.” This is also a vital step toward World Cup preparations.
The squad itself consists of 15 players: Simon Budge, Alex Turner, Steve Hogan, Will Malajczuk, Yash Deshmukh, Tom Hogan, Aryan Sharma, John James, Hayden Schiller, Charles Lachmund, Ben Gordon, Will Byrom, Kasey Barton, Alex Lee Young, and Jayden Draper.
Former Australian head coach Tim Nielsen will be leading the U19 squad for the first time, His experience at the top level is expected to help guide the team.
More About Them
Sharma, born in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, is an all-rounder who bats right-handed and bowls off-spin. He has played 31 matches, scoring 655 runs at an average of 27.29 with a top score of 72, and has taken 1 wicket, while also impressing with a T20 strike rate of 153.2 and sharp fielding skills. Deshmukh has featured in 37 matches, scoring 705 runs at 26.11 with a highest score of 111, alongside 31 wickets at 32.68, including best figures of 6-22, showing his value as a dependable all-rounder.
The schedule for Australia vs India U19 series is as follows:
September 21 – 1st 50-over match, Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane – 2:30pm AEST (Day/Night)/10:00am IST
September 24 – 2nd 50-over match, Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane – 2:30pm AEST (Day/Night)/10:00am IST
September 26 – 3rd 50-over match, Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane – 2:30pm AEST (Day/Night)/10:00am IST
September 30 – October 3 – 1st Four-day match, Ian Healy Oval, Brisbane – 10:00am AEST/5:30am IST
October 7 – 10 – 2nd Four-day match, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay – 11:00am AEDT/5:30am IS
