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U-19 World Cup Star Among 64 Players Banned by BCCI for Age Fraud: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken a very strict and historic step towards eradicating age-related fraud in the country. The BCCI has decided to ban 64 players simultaneously for age-related discrepancies. This major irregularity came to light following a pre-season documentation drive conducted by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), sending shockwaves through the Indian cricketing world.
Major Revelations in CAB Documentation Drive
This entire exercise is part of a comprehensive scrutiny of players' documents and date of birth (DOB) records. The CAB had launched a special pre-season documentation drive to ensure transparency in the records of its age-group players. As part of this verification process, it was mandatory for players to submit their birth certificates along with school and college academic records. The CAB has also made the full list of irregularities found after the thorough investigation public on its official website.
64 Cricketers Banned After CAB Investigation: Included U-19 World Cup Winner
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The list of 64 banned players includes names that have already made a mark at the national level:
- Ravi Kumar: A significant discrepancy of 45 months (three years and nine months) was found in the age of Ravi Kumar, the key fast bowler of India's 2022 Under-19 World Cup-winning team, according to CAB records.
- Rohit Yadav: Leg-spinner Rohit Yadav, who was recently selected for the Indian Under-19 team for the series against Australia Under-19, was found to have an age discrepancy of 27 months. The BCCI has immediately removed them from the team and imposed a two-year ban.
- Vishal Bhatti: The name of left-arm spin all-rounder Vishal Bhatti is also included in this list.
BCCI Implements Zero-Tolerance Policy and Immediate Action
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The BCCI has long been adopting new and stringent measures to tackle age fraud. Based on reports received from state units, the BCCI has enforced this ban with immediate effect. Furthermore, all state units affiliated with the BCCI across the country have been informed about these players and their bans, ensuring that they cannot participate in domestic cricket for any other state either.
This strict move by the BCCI sends a clear message that fraud at the junior level will not be tolerated, thereby ensuring that the rights of genuine and deserving young players are not compromised.
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