New Delhi [India]: Former Indian cricketer and Chief Cricketing Advisor of the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), Harbhajan Singh, on Thursday expressed immense pride over the selection of three young players from Punjab in India’s Under-19 squad for the upcoming England tour.
In a self-recorded video message, Harbhajan congratulated the trio — Vihaan Malhotra, Rahul Kumar, and Anmoljeet Singh — on their inclusion in the national youth team and praised the PCA’s commitment to developing young talent.
“It is really a special day as three Punjab cricketers have been named in India’s U-19 team. Vihaan, Rahul and Anmoljeet are really good players. I hope they play well and contribute to India’s success. I congratulate them, their coaches and family. Punjab Cricket has been working in Punjab, BCCI and India’s favour and will continue to do so. The youngsters from Punjab are contributing a lot in the Indian team, and all the credit goes to the PCA. I feel proud to be one of them and give them whatever I can offer. I hope this trend continues,”
said Harbhajan Singh.
Earlier in the day, the BCCI’s Junior Cricket Selection Committee announced the squad for India U-19’s tour of England, which will take place from June 24 to July 23, 2025. The itinerary includes a warm-up match, five Youth One-Day Internationals, and two multi-day games against England U-19.
Ayush Mhatre, the explosive opener for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2025 season, has been named captain of the side. Mhatre impressed with 206 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 187.27, including a standout 94-run knock against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
The squad also features 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who became the youngest centurion in men’s T20 history with a blistering 38-ball 101 for Rajasthan Royals (RR) against Gujarat Titans (GT). His century is the second-fastest in IPL history, and he finished the season with 252 runs at a strike rate of 206.56.
Abhigyan Kundu, named vice-captain and wicketkeeper, will share the gloves with Harvansh Singh, who also made the squad. Other key players include:
- Maulyarajsinh Chavda
- R S Ambrish
- Kanishk Chouhan
- Khilan Patel
- Henil Patel
- Yudhajit Guha
- Pranav Raghavendra
- Mohammed Enaan
- Aditya Rana
Standby players include Naman Pushpak, D Deepesh, Vedant Trivedi, Vikalp Tiwari, and Alankrith Rapole (wicketkeeper).
India’s tour begins with a 50-over warm-up match on June 24 at Loughborough University. The five-match One-Day series will follow, taking place at:
- Hove (June 27)
- Northampton (June 30 and July 2)
- Worcester (July 5 and 7)
The tour will conclude with two multi-day matches:
- Beckenham (July 12–15)
- Chelmsford (July 20–23)
This selection is being seen as a strong endorsement of PCA’s grassroots efforts and player development strategy, with Harbhajan Singh playing a pivotal advisory role.