NSW cricketer Neel Patel has been selected in Australia’s Under-19 men’s squad for next month’s multi-format tour of India, with Cricket Australia naming a 16-player group for a four-week campaign across Rajkot and Ahmedabad.
Patel, who plays for the University of NSW Cricket Club, is among a group of emerging players chosen by the Youth National Selection Panel for the tour, which will run from 13 September to 9 October 2026.
Australia will play three 50-over matches and two four-day matches against India Under-19, giving the squad an opportunity to gain experience in subcontinental conditions against one of the strongest youth cricket programmes in the world.
The tour will be led by head coach Tim Nielsen, who is currently overseeing the Cricket Australia XI programme against Bangladesh in Darwin.
Cricket Australia’s Head of National Development Sonya Thompson said the tour was designed to help develop some of the country’s leading young players through exposure to demanding overseas conditions.
She said playing in India would provide a valuable test across both limited-overs and longer formats, helping players develop their technical skills and decision-making in unfamiliar conditions.
Thompson also said Nielsen’s experience in player development made him well placed to lead the programme.
Patel’s selection places him among a strong contingent of players from across Australia, with representatives from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania included in the squad.
The Australia Under-19 squad includes Kasey Barton, Hayden Barbulovic, Eli Brain, Will Byrom, Blake Cattle, Jack Czosnek, Spencer Green, Connor Gregory, Charlie Henderson, Zed Hollick, Matthew Lough, Neel Patel, Jacob Pietz, Patrick Sullivan, Theo Tsingos and Thomas Vaseo.
Tours to India are regarded as an important part of Australia’s youth development pathway because they expose young players to different playing surfaces, longer match schedules and high-quality opposition. For Patel, the selection marks an opportunity to test his game in conditions that have challenged generations of Australian cricketers and to strengthen his case for future national pathway opportunities.
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