Who Are D. Deepesh and Naman Pushpak in the India U19 Squad for the England Tour?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- D. Deepesh and Naman Pushpak join the India U19 squad for the England tour.
- The duo replaces injured players Aditya Rana and Khilan Patel.
- Ayush Mhatre will captain the team, promising strong leadership.
- The tour includes a mix of one-day and multi-day matches against England U19.
- Youth talents will gain invaluable experience on an international platform.
New Delhi, June 16 (NationPress) D. Deepesh and Naman Pushpak have officially joined the India men’s U19 squad for the forthcoming tour of England, taking place from June 24 to July 23.
Initially listed as standby players, both Deepesh and Naman were called up to the main squad as substitutes for Aditya Rana and Khilan Patel. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed this in a statement on Monday, noting, “Aditya sustained a stress fracture in his lower back, while Khilan suffered a stress reaction in his right leg during the ongoing high-performance camp at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.”
The U19 squad will be under the captaincy of Ayush Mhatre, who made a remarkable impression while playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2025. The tour will include a 50-over warm-up match at Loughborough University, followed by a five-match Youth One-Day series across Hove, Northampton, and Worcester. Additionally, two multi-day matches against England U19 are scheduled in Beckenham and Chelmsford.
Wicketkeeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu, a teammate of Mhatre from Mumbai, has been designated as the vice-captain. The squad also includes the explosive left-handed batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who scored 252 runs, featuring a stunning 35-ball century and a half-century for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2025. Suryavanshi and Mhatre were part of India’s runners-up finish in the U19 Asia Cup held in the UAE last year.
Other notable inclusions are Punjab batter Vihaan Malhotra and Kerala leg-spinner Mohammed Enaan, both of whom showcased their talent during the youth series against Australia in Chennai and Puducherry last year.
India U19 Squad: Ayush Mhatre (Captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Vihaan Malhotra, Maulyarajsinh Chavda, Rahul Kumar, Abhigyan Kundu (Vice-Captain & WK), Harvansh Singh (WK), R. S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Henil Patel, Yudhajit Guha, Pranav Raghavendra, Mohammed Enaan, Anmoljeet Singh, D. Deepesh, Naman Pushpak.
Standby Players: Vedant Trivedi, Vikalp Tiwari, Alankrith Rapole (WK).