Rohit Yadav, a legspinner who was part of India's Under-19 tour of Sri Lanka in July this year, has been handed a two-year ban for age fraud.
The discrepancy came to light when the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) conducted a pre-season documentation drive for its players. Rohit has since been withdrawn from the India Under-19 squad scheduled to play Australia Under-19 in five one-dayers and two multi-day fixtures later this month.
Rohit, who has represented Bengal in the age-group circuit, is understood to have an age-discrepancy of 27 months, as disclosed by CAB. All BCCI-affiliated state units have been notified of the ban, which takes effect immediately.
The CAB has also barred 64 others for similar age discrepancies. This includes Ravi Kumar, a former India Under-19 World Cup winner who was a standout performer in the 2022 final against England in the Caribbean.
Ravi Kumar, a left-arm pacer, made his senior team debut for Bengal the same year but last played in 2023. All his age-group records from his debut until the 2025-26 season will be deemed invalid. Cricinfo understands Ravi Kumar's age discrepancy is for over 40 months.
In the past, the BCCI has tried to counter rising cases of age fraud through different means.
In 2020, it proposed an amnesty scheme accompanied by a system of punishments for offenders. Under this, registered players could voluntarily declare any discrepancy and avoid suspension if they provided their actual dates of birth, but faced bans if they were found to have breached this.
As part of the age verification process at the Under-19 level, players must submit their birth certificates along with as many documents concerning his school/college educational records as possible.
