BCCI bans India U-19 spinner Rohit Yadav for two years over age fraud; 64 more cases surface

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has banned India Under-19 leg-spinner Rohit Yadav for two years after an alleged age discrepancy of more than two years came to light, as Indian cricket confronts another series of age-fraud cases at the junior level.

Rohit, who was part of India’s Under-19 tour of Sri Lanka in July, came under scrutiny during a documentation exercise conducted by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). The suspension means he will miss India Under-19’s upcoming home assignment against Australia, comprising five one-day matches and two multi-day games.

CAB uncovers 64 cases

Rohit’s case is part of a much wider problem detected by the CAB, which has reportedly identified 64 additional instances of suspected age fraud. Among the players under scrutiny is left-arm pacer Ravi Kumar, a member of India’s victorious 2022 Under-19 World Cup team.

Ravi played an important role in that title triumph, taking four wickets in the final, and went on to represent Bengal at the senior level later that year. He has not played for the state since 2023. The discrepancy in his case is understood to exceed three years.

BCCI maintains tough policy

Age fraud has remained a persistent concern in Indian junior cricket despite measures introduced by the BCCI over the years. In 2020, the board introduced an amnesty scheme allowing players who voluntarily disclosed age discrepancies to avoid suspension, while those found to have falsified their age without making a disclosure faced a two-year ban.

The policy was intended to protect genuine age-group cricketers whose opportunities can be affected when over-age players compete at junior levels. Former India captain Rahul Dravid had described age fraud as damaging to the health of the sport when the stricter measures were introduced, while then BCCI president Sourav Ganguly warned that players who failed to voluntarily disclose discrepancies would face severe punishment.

The latest cases underline the continuing challenge for Indian cricket administrators despite tighter documentation checks and tougher penalties designed to curb manipulation of age records.