Home
Barely hours after scripting one of the greatest finishing acts in youth international cricket, 18-year-old pace-bowling all-rounder Mohit Ulva has received the ultimate validation from his home state. The Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) on Saturday night, November 14, 2026, formally added the teenage sensation to its senior men’s squad for the ongoing 2026–27 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).
ADVERTISEMENT
Mohit Ulva added to Saurashtra's SMAT squad post U-19 Asia Cup final wonder
Instead of returning home to celebrate India’s record-extending ninth ACC Men’s U-19 Asia Cup crown, Mohit has been instructed by SCA officials to fly directly from Muscat to Indore, where Saurashtra’s Group B fixtures are currently underway. The promotion proves how profoundly his ice-cold, match-winning knock against Pakistan Under-19 resonated with state selectors and administrators alike.
Confirming the fast-track inclusion, Saurashtra Cricket Association President Jaydev Shah lauded the teenager’s temperament under extreme pressure and revealed that the association wasted no time in rewarding his grit.
“He is a very talented boy and comes from a humble family in Surendranagar, near Rajkot. He lives in Rajkot. We always try to encourage youngsters, and we have decided that he will be a good addition to the SMAT side,” Shah told Cricbuzz.
The Innings That Earned Mohit Ulva a Senior Breakthrough
Mohit’s promotion comes on the back of a performance in Al Amerat, Oman, that instantly transformed him from a promising age-group cricketer into a household name. In the 2026 U-19 Asia Cup summit clash against Pakistan on Saturday, India were staring at near-certain defeat while chasing a massive target of 338. Reduced to 252/8 after 41.3 overs, India needed 86 runs from 51 balls with just two tailenders remaining.
Walking out at number 10, Mohit flipped the script entirely. Demonstrating clean ball-striking and remarkable composure, he hammered an unbeaten 49 off just 26 deliveries at a strike rate exceeding 188, peppering the Al Amerat outfield with five fours and three towering sixes.
Alongside number seven Manal Chauhan (47), Mohit stitched together a blistering 57-run partnership that pulled India back into contention.
After Chauhan fell at 309/9 in the 48th over, Mohit took ownership of the chase with number 11 Chigurupati Venkata, adding an unbeaten 30-run stand. With three runs needed off the final delivery of the 50th over against spinner Ahmed Hussain, Mohit cleared his front leg and drilled a boundary over mid-off to seal a one-wicket victory and clinch India’s ninth U-19 Asia Cup trophy.
What Mohit Brings to Jaydev Unadkat’s Saurashtra Side
Joining the senior dressing room in Indore places Mohit under the direct mentorship of veteran India left-arm seamer and Saurashtra skipper Jaydev Unadkat, alongside established domestic campaigners like Harvik Desai and Chetan Sakariya.
For Mohit, uniting with Unadkat is a continuation of a relationship forged during the Saurashtra Premier League (SPL), where the teenager represented Anmol Kings Halar. During SPL net sessions earlier in his career, Unadkat had famously spotted Mohit’s ability to execute a deceptive slower bouncer and urged him to keep honing the variation as a primary T20 weapon.
Tactically, Mohit offers Saurashtra a rare and valuable domestic skillset.
Lower-Order Power-Hitting: Having already scored a 26-ball 49* at No. 10 against Pakistan U-19 and a counterattacking 92 off 84 balls at No. 10 on Youth Test debut against Australia U-19 in Rajkot earlier in September 2026, he provides genuine late-overs depth in the shortest format.
Deck-Hitting Seam Bowling: Originally an off-spinner when he began training under Ravindra Jadeja’s childhood coach Mahendrasinh Chauhan in Jamnagar, Mohit transitioned into a right-arm medium pacer capable of extracting bounce and executing death-over variations.
Saurashtra’s SMAT 2026–27 Campaign So Far
Saurashtra have made a confident start to their 2026–27 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign in Group B. In their tournament opener at the Holkar Stadium in Indore earlier on Saturday, Jaydev Unadkat’s side restricted Bihar—captained by 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi—to 137/9 before chasing down the target in 16.3 overs for a commanding five-wicket win.
Provided travel logistics from Oman go smoothly, Mohit Ulva is expected to link up with the squad on Sunday and will be available for selection when Saurashtra take on Haryana in their second Group B encounter at the Daly College Ground in Indore on Monday, November 16, 2026.
A Defining 24 Hours in a Young Career
In a country where breaking into senior domestic cricket often takes years of grinding through U-19 and U-23 circuits, Mohit Ulva’s trajectory over a single weekend stands out as extraordinary. From training at Jamnagar’s Cricket Bungalow after picking up the sport in Surendranagar, to silencing Pakistan on the final ball in Oman, to boarding a flight straight into a senior T20 dressing room in Indore, the 18-year-old all-rounder now gets an immediate stage to test his big-match temperament against India’s finest domestic T20 talent.
Saurashtra's squad for SMAT 2026
Jaydev Unadkat (c), Harvik Desai, Jay Gohil, Prerak Mankad, Vishvarajsinh Jadeja, Mohit Ulva, Sammar Gajjar, Ruchit Ahir, Chetan Sakariya, Parth Bhut, Harvansh Singh Pangalia, Siddhant Rana, Krains Fuletra, Yuvraj Chudasama, Luckyraj Vaghela, Devang Karamta, Ankur Panwar
ADVERTISEMENT
