Four from Karnataka, including Samit, in U-19 squad

Bengaluru: Karnataka's Hardik Raj, Samit Dravid, Karthikeya KP and Samarth N have found places in the India under-19 squads which will face Australia in the upcoming multi-format series.

The two sides, which were picked by the Thilak Naidu-headed Junior National Selection panel on Saturday, will clash in a three-match one-day series in Puducherry on September 21, 23 and 26 Chennai will play hosts to two four-day matches beginning on September 30 and October 7.

The India squad in the one-day series will be led by Mohd Amaan of Uttar Pradesh while Soham Patwardhan of Madhya Pradesh has been named captain of the team for the four-day matches.

Hardik is a left-arm spinning all-rounder, who made his Ranji Trophy debut last season, had a decent outing, making 223 runs in five matches besides claiming 15 wickets.

Samit, a pace-bowling all-rounder, is currently playing for Mysore Warriors in the ongoing KSCA Maharaja T20 trophy in Bengaluru. While he has had an underwhelming season with the bat so far, having made 82 runs from seven innings, he had put on show his talent earlier this year in the Cooch Behar Trophy where he played a pivotal role in Karnataka's maiden title triumph in the event.

The 18-year-old conjured up 362 runs from eight matches with his 98 against Jammu and Kashmir being the standout innings. He also claimed 16 wickets in eight matches, including two in the final against Mumbai.

Samarth is a medium pacer, who is currently playing for Mangalore Dragons. While he has taken just one wicket in the Maharaja Trophy in five matches, the 18-year-old was one of the top performers in Cooch Behar with 25 scalps from eight matches.

Karthikeya, also an all-rounder, has also had a poor season with Hubli Tigers in the Maharaja Trophy with only two double digit scores, the highest being an unbeaten 31, in eight innings. The 18-year-old, who also bowls leg-spin, had amassed 459 runs in six Cooch Behar matches at an average of 65.67 with two centuries and one half-century.  

While Samarth, Karthikeya and Samarth are in both one-day and four-day teams, Hardik has been included only in the limited-over side.