Anvay Dravid, son of former India captain Rahul Dravid, has been named in India’s Under-19 squad for three 50-over matches in Hambantota on 4, 6 and 9 July. It is the wicketkeeper-batter’s first full tour with the junior national side and comes less than a year after his brief appearance for India B Under-19s in Bengaluru.
Those who have watched the 17-year-old develop at Karnataka age-group level say the basics are in place. “He’s patient and he listens – two things you don’t always see in teenagers,” noted Karnataka U-19 coach J Arun Kumar. “The family name brings attention, but it doesn’t buy you runs.”
Anvay’s recent form has been solid rather than spectacular. He topped 220 runs at 55.00 while leading Karnataka into the Vinoo Mankad Trophy quarter-finals, and kept tidily enough to collect a pair of catches in each of his last two games. Selection convenor Ashish Kapoor admitted consistency, not one standout knock, clinched the spot. “We looked at who could adapt quickest to Sri Lankan pitches. Anvay ticked that box,” Kapoor said.
The touring party will be captained by Madhya Pradesh opener Yashbardhan Singh Chauhan, with Uttarakhand’s Lakshya Raichandani – already five first-class matches old – as vice-captain. Raichandani, still only 17, dropped three half-centuries in this season’s Ranji Trophy. “He’s fearless, but not reckless,” state coach Manish Jha observed.
After the Hambantota one-dayers, a separate 15-man group – most of them overlapping – will play two four-day fixtures in Galle (13-16 July) and Colombo (20-23 July). Quick Rohit Anil Yadav and left-arm spinner Kavya Paresh Patel are in both squads, an indication that the selectors want a core of bowlers to gain experience in varying formats.
Older brother Samit Dravid was chosen for an U-19 series against Australia in 2024 but missed out through a knee injury. The 20-year-old has since returned to club cricket, yet national age-group rules make him ineligible for this tour. Rahul Dravid has stayed deliberately quiet, though he did tell a local event last winter: “Whatever level my boys play, they have to earn it.”
Not everyone is convinced the surname is irrelevant; social media jumped as soon as the list dropped. For now, the youngster’s focus is simple. “I just want to bat long and keep clean,” he told the Karnataka State Association website last week. Short and to the point – traits his father might appreciate.
One-day squad: Sagar Virk, Lakshya Raichandani (vice-capt), Yashbardhan Singh Chauhan (capt), Vineeth V K, Arjun Rajput, Kushagra Ojha, Rajat Baghel (wk), Anvay Dravid (wk), Anmoljeet Singh, Vutkuri Yashveer Goud, Rohit Anil Yadav, Shavin V, Kavya Paresh Patel, Mohit Ulva, Ishan Sood.
Four-day squad: Sagar Virk, Lakshya Raichandani (vice-capt), Yashbardhan Singh Chauhan (capt), Patel Kush, Manal Chauhan, Kushagra Ojha, Manav Krishna (wk), Aryan Sandesh Sakpal (wk), Hemchudeshan J, BK Kishore, Rohit Anil Yadav, Kavya Paresh Patel, Priyanshu Singh, Pranav Raghvendra, Chigurupati Venkata.
The itinerary is tight, the humidity tighter, and there will be enough spin to test every batter’s forward defence. If Anvay can turn starts into scores, the chatter will die down on its own.
