DDCA asks India U-19 star Manjot Kalra to undergo age verification test despite being cleared by BCCI

DDCA’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) led by former Indian cricketer Madan Lal, yesterday, selected Delhi's U-19 team for Vinoo Mankad Trophy with Kalra as the captain. The team list was first uploaded on the association's website, but in sometime it was pulled down after multiple complaints of age-fudging came up, as reported by News 18. DDCA administrator Justice Vikramajeet Sen has instantly ordered for all eligible U-19 cricketers to undergo medical test for age-verification.

In a three-page letter, Justice Sen, though, maintained that the BCCI has cleared Kalra's recorded date of birth of January 15, 1999 after verifying his CBSE Class X certificate, copy of passport, pan card.  "BCCI has informed the undersigned that they have accepted the age of Manjot Kalra as 15-1-1999 after verification done by them," Sen stated in his notification.

However, it was learnt that a few parents had provided separate documents from his school, Lancers Convent School, Rohini, highlighting Kalra's date of birth as 15-1-1998.

The junior selectors are yet to receive any instruction with regard to the status of the team. “See we haven’t received any information yet. I got to know about Manjot’s case only when I reached the ground for meeting the squad. We picked the squad only a day before and I wanted to convey my wishes to them for the new season. As things stand, he is very much the part of the team and very much Delhi U-19 captain,” said Sukhvinder Singh, chairman of the junior selection committee, to the Indian Express.

The left-handed batsman is considered to be a certainty for next year's junior World Cup in New Zealand and along with Shubhman Gill and Prithvi Shaw, is a major fulcrum in the Indian batting order.