The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has taken a major step against alleged age fraud and document irregularities in domestic cricket. Following an investigation, the association has banned the registration and transfer of 65 players, preventing them from participating in tournaments during the 2026-27 and 2027-28 domestic seasons.

The action has attracted particular attention because the list reportedly includes players who represented Bengal at age-group level, including members of India's 2022 Under-19 World Cup-winning squad.

Ravi Kumar's age discrepancy draws attention

Among the most prominent names is left-arm fast bowler Ravi Kumar, who played an important role in India's Under-19 World Cup triumph in the West Indies.

Ravi Kumar took four wickets for 34 runs in the final against England and finished the tournament with 10 wickets in six matches.

According to the CAB records cited in the report, his birth-date documentation reportedly contains a discrepancy of 45 months. As a result, his participation records across the Under-19, Under-23 and senior categories from the 2021-22 through 2025-26 seasons have been affected.

Rohit Yadav also faces action

Leg-spinner Rohit Yadav is another notable name associated with the investigation.

The CAB reportedly found discrepancies of more than two years in his documents. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also imposed a two-year ban, according to the report, and alerted other state associations.

His 2024-25 and 2025-26 tours were consequently affected.

Some discrepancies stretch back almost a decade

The figures mentioned in the CAB's list highlight the scale of the alleged irregularities.

The report says the birth-date discrepancy involving Arun Kumar Chawrasia was 115 months, equivalent to more than 9.5 years. Mahipal Yadav reportedly had a discrepancy of more than eight years.

Other players mentioned include:

• Prabhat Maurya: 57 months
• Amrit Raj Upadhyay: 48 months
• Dilshad Khan: 46 months
• Anubhav Tyagi: 36 months
• Kunal Kumar: 35 months
• Vineet Maurya: 32 months
• Kushal Gupta: 26 months
• Parmeet Singh: 12 months

The report says 12 age-group cricketers who represented Bengal were among those whose birth dates were found to differ from the records submitted.

Why age fraud is such a serious issue

Age-group cricket is designed to give younger players a fair opportunity to compete against players of a similar age. If an older player enters an Under-19 or Under-23 competition using incorrect documents, genuine younger players can effectively lose opportunities.

The consequences can extend beyond individual matches. Selection for state teams, domestic tournaments and eventually national age-group squads can all be influenced by these competitions.

That's why cricket authorities have increasingly focused on document verification and age determination.

Two-season ban sends a strong message

By preventing the 65 players from registering or transferring for the next two domestic seasons, CAB has sent a strong warning to players and officials involved in age-group cricket.

The case also highlights how important accurate documentation is in India's cricket pathway. For young players competing for limited opportunities, even a single age-ineligible participant can potentially affect selection and career progression.

The action against such a large number of players is therefore significant—not only because of the names involved, but because it demonstrates the seriousness with which cricket authorities are treating alleged age and documentation irregularities.