India Under-19 leg-spinner Rohit Yadav has been handed a two-year ban by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after discrepancies were found in his age-related records, bringing his rapid rise through the junior ranks to an abrupt halt.
The ban has reportedly come into effect immediately, with the BCCI informing its affiliated state associations about the decision. Rohit, who represents Bengal, was recently included in India’s Under-19 squad for the upcoming home series against Australia Under-19, scheduled to begin on September 18.
The development is particularly significant given Rohit’s recent performances for India’s junior side. The leg-spinner was part of the Under-19 team’s tour of Sri Lanka and impressed during the Youth Test series. He claimed six wickets in the match against Sri Lanka Under-19, helping India secure a 211-run victory.
Age-record discrepancies lead to BCCI action
The disciplinary action followed scrutiny of Rohit’s personal documents. Reports indicate that multiple changes were detected in his date-of-birth records, including discrepancies involving documents such as his Aadhaar card.
The matter was reportedly identified during scrutiny by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), which subsequently brought the discrepancies to the BCCI’s attention.
He had his birthday registered as July 7, 2007 when he registered for CAB in 2014. In an Aadhaar update in 2017, his year of birth was changed to 2006, and then in 2021, another update showed him changing his birth year to 2009. It has continued since, as his year of birth, and his address was also subsequently changed from Uttar Pradesh to a place called Liluah in the Howrah district of West Bengal.
Incidentally, MyKhel understands Rohit’s change in address as he moved from Uttar Pradesh to his sister’s house in Howrah, but the change in year of birth remains an enigma.
Rohit Yadav to be removed from India U19 Squad
Rohit’s suspension comes just weeks after he strengthened his case for continued selection at the international junior level. His six-wicket performance in Sri Lanka had enhanced his reputation as one of Bengal’s promising young spinners.
However, the two-year suspension means he will now miss the upcoming Australia U-19 series and a significant portion of the domestic age-group calendar. The BCCI is expected to make a replacement for Rohit in the India U-19 squad ahead of the Australia series.