Mumbai, December 27: The Junior Cricket Committee has announced the India Under-19 squads for the upcoming tour of South Africa and the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026. The World Cup will be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15 to February 6, 2026.
Before the World Cup, the Indian U19 team will travel to South Africa for a three-match One-Day series. All three matches will be played at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on January 3, 5 and 7. This series will help the team prepare for the global tournament.
The ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2026 will feature 16 teams, divided into four groups. The tournament will move into the Super Six stage, followed by the semi-finals and final, which will be played in Harare.
Five-time champions India (2000, 2008, 2012, 2018 and 2022) have been placed in Group B, along with New Zealand, USA and Bangladesh.
India will begin their World Cup campaign against USA on January 15 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. They will then face Bangladesh on January 17 at the same venue, before playing New Zealand on January 24.
For the South Africa tour, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will lead the side as captain, with Aaron George named vice-captain. However, Ayush Mhatre and Vihaan Malhotra have been ruled out of the South Africa tour due to wrist injuries. Both players will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence for treatment and are expected to rejoin the squad for the Under-19 World Cup.
For the World Cup, Ayush Mhatre will captain the Indian team, with Vihaan Malhotra serving as his deputy, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Aaron George remain part of the squad.
India U19 squad For South Africa Tour
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (C), Aaron George (VC), Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A. Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D. Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan, Yuvraj Gohil, Rahul Kumar
India U19 squad For ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026
Ayush Mhatre (C), Vihaan Malhotra (VC), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Aaron George, Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A. Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D. Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan
The upcoming tour and World Cup will be a key test for India’s young talents as they aim to defend their status as one of the most successful teams in Under-19 cricket history.
