No one will be spared – Sourav Ganguly lauds CAB's age verification process after Rohit Yadav ban

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has implemented transparent age-verification rules and will conduct annual checks on all players, according to president Sourav Ganguly. The former India captain made these remarks following the BCCI's action against Bengal leg-spinner Rohit Yadav, who was handed a two-year ban for allegedly misrepresenting his age. Yadav had represented India's Under-19 team during their tour of Sri Lanka in July, where he took six wickets and helped the side win the final Test.

Ganguly highlighted that the BCCI introduced the Aadhaar update system for age verification purposes. He noted that on August 27, representatives from all state agencies attended an age verification seminar held by the BCCI. The CAB has established a 10-member verification cell dedicated to checking player ages and eligibility across all levels of the game.

“This is the first time that the BCCI has introduced the Aadhaar update system. On the 27th of last month, the BCCI held an age verification seminar,” Ganguly explained while addressing a press conference at Eden Gardens.

CAB's transparent age-verification system and annual checks

Ganguly stated that the verification process would be rigorous and comprehensive. He explained that Yadav and other players who had reached the age limit were excluded from the probable squad. The CAB's transparent set of rules ensures that age-related discrepancies are identified and addressed systematically.

“Representatives of all state agencies go. Age is a problem in all sports. Football, cricket – all sports. The CAB has a transparent set of rules for verification of age. Rohit Yadav has been dropped from the national team. We didn’t include Rohit and Ravi Kumar in the probable squad. Not only them, but many players who have reached the age limit have been dropped. It will be verified every year. The CAB has a 10-member verification cell. Those who are caught are not allowed to play," Ganguly said.

Players barred and verification process details

Yadav was among 62 players declared ineligible for registration or transfer for any tournament during the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons by CAB over documentation and age-related discrepancies. He was subsequently pulled out of India's Under-19 squad for red-ball and white-ball series against Australia, scheduled to be played in Rajkot and Ahmedabad later in September. Ravi Kumar, a former India Under-19 World Cup winner who delivered 4-34 in the 2022 Men's U19 World Cup final against England, was also among the sanctioned players. CAB records listed Ravi with a 45-month age discrepancy, and all his age-group participation records from the 2021-22 season through the 2025-26 campaign across junior and senior levels were deemed invalid.

Ganguly acknowledged that while the CAB could only verify and exclude ineligible players, the Aadhaar update system would capture any false documentation submitted. He emphasised that the verification process would be comprehensive and that no player would escape scrutiny. The CAB had allocated resources and personnel specifically for this verification work, with 10 people on salary dedicated to checking everything related to player eligibility and age compliance.

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“CAB can’t do anything. The CAB can only verify and exclude it. I don’t know where they come from, whether they get fake certificates from hospitals or boroughs. The CAB will not be able to reach that far,” he said. “But if submitted, it will be captured in the Aadhaar update system. No one will be spared. The CAB has 10 people on salary for this job. They’re checking everything," Ganguly stated.