Why is Anvay Dravid Not Playing Today in SL U19 vs IND U19 3rd Youth ODI?

The India U19 tour of Sri Lanka 2026 is underway, with 3 Youth ODIs and 2 Unofficial Tests scheduled. Currently, the Youth ODI series stands at 1-1, with the decider underway, coming after an exceptional display of game by both Sri Lanka U19 and India U19 in the previous games. As the SL U19 vs IND U19 3rd Youth ODI has begun, the home team, Sri Lanka U19, won the toss and elected to bowl first in this important fixture of the series.

As the Playing 11s were announced by respective captains, both teams saw 3 changes to their side, but the main spotlight was the absence of Anvay Dravid from the side. Let's find out the reason why Anvay Dravid is not playing this match, and who has been announced as Anvay Dravid replacement.

Why is Anvay Dravid Not Playing Today Against SL U19?

Anvay Dravid, son of Legendary cricketer Rahul Dravid, is not playing the SL U19 vs IND U19 3rd Youth ODI, and the reason behind his absence from the Playing XI is still unknown. The management has not announced why Anvay Dravid is not playing and has not given clarity around whether he is dropped or rested in this series decider, after scoring a good knock in the last match.

The other wicket-keeper batter in the squad, Rajat Baghel, has been announced as Anvay Dravid replacement for this match. Rajat Baghel opened the innings with the skipper Yashbardhan Chauhan, where he got dismissed quite early after scoring just 8 runs in 14 balls.

Anvay Dravid Performance in Youth ODI Series

Young Anvay Dravid has shown great character on the field with both his batting and wicket-keeping skills, and he can become one of the best wicket-keepers in India in the near future if he continues to shine like this. He may have the pressure of being the son of Rahul Dravid, but he doesn't let that come into his game.

In this Youth ODI Series against Sri Lanka U19, he went on to play the first two matches for India U19 and scored a total of 101 runs. The first match might have been great for him, where he scored just 14 off 19 balls, but he came stronger in the 2nd match, where he played a brilliant innings of 87 runs. While he is not playing the SL U19 vs IND U19 3rd Youth ODI, he would have scored in this match as well.