Teen opener Ayush Mhatre’s appointment as skipper of the India U-19 team for the upcoming England tour has come as no surprise to his Mumbai Ranji Trophy team members. Another Mumbai lad, wicketkeeper-batsman Abhigyan Kundu will be his deputy.

Mhatre has impressed everyone in his maiden IPL stint (206 runs in six games) with the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings team. Before that, in his debut first-class season, Mhatre, 17, scored 504 runs in nine matches with two centuries, besides having 458 runs under his belt from seven List A games. Head coach of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy team, Omkar Salvi, was all praise for the young Mhatre. “It’s a surreal feeling to see a young player growing with every opportunity he has got. Ayush is a lovely kid who has a very calm head on his shoulders. Being around him in the dressing room gave me the feeling that he’s someone who will definitely be a leader in future. He’s very confident of his abilities and is a self-assured team man. And these qualities will keep him in good stead as leader of the India U-19 team,” Salvi told mid-day on Thursday.