In a major development, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has come forward and banned U19 legspinner Rohit Yadav for two years due to age fraud. It is worth noting that Rohit Yadav was a part of India U19’s recent tour of Sri Lanka in July.
The age fraud came to light after the CAB (Cricket Association of Bengal) conducted a pre-season documentation drive for its players. India U19 were scheduled to take on Australia across five one-day and three multi-day matches in late September, and Rohit has been pulled out of the squad for the aforementioned matches.
Rohit Yadav had represented Bengal in the domestic circuit, and according to CAB, he had an age discrepancy of 27 months. The ban takes effect immediately, and all the BCCI-affiliated state units have also been notified.
Furthermore, the CAB has also barred 62 other players due to similar age discrepancies. One of the more notable names on the list has been that of Ravi Kumar. The left-arm pacer was a part of India’s squad for their title-winning campaign in the U19 World Cup back in 2022. Ravi Kumar also made his senior team debut for Bengal in the same year but last played in 2023.
As part of the ban, all of his records from his debut until the 2025-26 season have been deemed invalid, and according to Cricinfo, his age discrepancy is up to 40 months.
BCCI continues the fight against age fraud cases
It is interesting to note that for quite a few years now, the BCCI has tried to counter the ever-rising cases of age fraud through various means. Back in 2020, the BCCI proposed an amnesty scheme where a system of punishments was announced by the board.
Under the scheme, the players had the choice to report several age discrepancies themselves and avoid suspensions. However, they would face a ban if they did not report and were found in breach of the same.
Furthermore, with the age verification process now, the U19 players are required to submit their birth certificates with as many educational certificates as possible as part of the process.
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