Five-time champions India have officially named their 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2026, to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15. Talented batter Ayush Mhatre will captain the side, with Vihaan Malhotra appointed as his deputy as India chase yet another youth world crown.
India have been drawn in Group B alongside New Zealand, USA, and Bangladesh, beginning their campaign on January 15 against USA in Bulawayo. Before the World Cup, the squad will also play a three-match youth ODI series against South Africa in Benoni on January 3, 5 and 7, but both Mhatre and Malhotra will miss that series as they recover from wrist injuries at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Mhatre recently guided India to the U19 Asia Cup final, where they finished runners-up to Pakistan. Young opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi, India’s second-highest run-getter in the Asia Cup with 261 runs, will lead the team in the South Africa series in Mhatre’s absence. Accordingly, Abhigyan Kundu, fresh off a stunning 209* off 125 balls vs Malaysia, headlines India’s batting firepower heading into the World Cup.
India’s U19 setup continues to highlight rising stars, with Aaron George (228 Asia Cup runs) and Deepesh Devendran (nine wickets) also retaining their places. Two changes have been made from the Asia Cup squad, with R.S. Ambrish and Mohamed Enaan coming in for Yuvraj Gohil and Naman Pushpak as selectors fine-tuned the balance ahead of the global showpiece.
India begin their title quest on January 15 vs USA, followed by Bangladesh on January 17 and New Zealand on January 24. The tournament format will see 12 of the 16 teams progress beyond the opening stage, with the final scheduled for February 6 in Harare. With depth, form, and history on their side, India once again enter the U19 World Cup as one of the favourites, and Ayush Mhatre’s young brigade will know exactly what is expected of them.
India’s squad for U19 World Cup 2026:
Ayush Mhatre (C), R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, D. Deepesh, Mohamed Enaan, Aaron George, Abhigyan Kundu, Kishan Kumar Singh, Vihaan Malhotra, Udhav Mohan, Henil Patel, Khilan A. Patel, Harvansh Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Vedant Trivedi.
India’s group-stage fixtures at ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2026:
- 15th January: v USA
- 17th January: v Bangladesh
- 24th January: v New Zealand
*All matches are at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, and scheduled to start at 9:30AM local time.
