There was a moment at Al Amerat Cricket Ground when India Under-19 looked in serious trouble against PAK U19 in the Under-19 Asia Cup. Four wickets had fallen with the total at 42, and the innings needed someone to take ownership. Arjun Rajput, a 19-year-old left-handed middle-order batsman from Jalandhar, Punjab, walked out and did exactly that, reaching three figures off just 80 balls before being dismissed for 107 off 85 deliveries.

IND U19 could only reach 170 in total, which meant Rajput's knock accounted for well over half of everything his side scored. The Punjab all-rounder's innings in 2026 placed him at the centre of the Asia Cup U19 conversation and drew attention from across Indian cricket.

Who is Arjun Rajput and what is his cricket background?

Born in Jalandhar, the same city that produced Yuvraj Singh, Rajput is a right-arm off-spin bowler as well as a left-handed bat. He captained Punjab U19 through the 2026-27 domestic season, finishing with 695 runs from 8 matches at an average of 139.00 and a strike rate of 121.08.

That campaign featured a Player of the Match award in the semi-final against Vidarbha, where he made 52, and then an unbeaten 55 off 33 balls in the final as Punjab beat Mumbai to lift the title. Earlier in his development, performances in the Cooch Behar Trophy and the Binu Mankar Trophy had already caught the eye of selectors.

In franchise cricket, Rajput turned out for Ludhiana Lions in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 Cup. He struck 78 runs from 46 deliveries in the fixture against Mohali, a display that contributed to his selection for IND U19 squads for series against both Sri Lanka and Australia. He is part of the current India Under-19 group led by Laxman Raichandani at the ongoing Under-19 Asia Cup.

What else has Rajput contributed in the U19 Asia Cup?

Rajput's value to India U19 extends beyond his batting. Apart from his century against Pakistan, he returned figures of 3 for 8 with his off-spin against Nepal Under-19 earlier in the Asia Cup U19 campaign, confirming his standing as a genuine all-round option at this level.

Taken together, the century off 80 balls in a crisis situation and the bowling performance against Nepal paint a picture of a cricketer who contributes across disciplines. At 19, with domestic runs in the Cooch Behar Trophy, the Binu Mankar Trophy and the Sher-e-Punjab T20 Cup already behind him, Rajput has given the India U19 selectors a compelling case to keep watching him closely.