The tournament is scheduled to take place in Namibia and Zimbabwe from January 15 to February 6, 2026.
Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026, with Ayush Mhatre named captain of the young Indian side. The prestigious tournament will be played in Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15 to February 6 across five venues, featuring 16 teams competing in the 50-over format.
India, the most successful team in Under-19 World Cup history with five titles, have been placed in Group B alongside New Zealand, Bangladesh, and the United States of America. As per the tournament format, the teams will compete in a round-robin group stage, after which the top three teams from each group will advance to the Super Six stage. The competition will then progress to the semi-finals and final, with reserve days allocated for all knockout matches.
The Indian team enters the World Cup after finishing runners-up in the recently concluded Under-19 Asia Cup in the UAE, where they suffered a defeat against arch-rivals Pakistan in the final. Ahead of the World Cup, India will also tour South Africa for a three-match ODI series as part of their preparations. In that series, Vaibhav Suryavanshi will lead the side in the absence of injured players Ayush Mhatre and Vihaan Malhotra.
India will kick off their World Cup campaign against the USA on January 15 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. They will then face Bangladesh on January 17 at the same venue before taking on New Zealand on January 24. With a rich legacy of producing future international stars, the Indian Under-19 team will be eager to add a sixth title to their record, having previously lifted the trophy under captains Mohammad Kaif (2000), Virat Kohli (2008), Unmukt Chand (2012), Prithvi Shaw (2018), and Yash Dhull (2022).
India squad for Under-19 World Cup:
Ayush Mhatre (captain), Vihaan Malhotra (vice-captain), Abhigyan Kundu (wicketkeeper), Harvansh Singh (wicketkeeper), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Aaron George, Vedant Trivedi, R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan.
Groups and Teams
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| Group A | India, Bangladesh, USA, New Zealand |
| Group B | Zimbabwe, Pakistan, England, Scotland |
| Group C | Australia, Ireland, Japan, Sri Lanka |
| Group D | Tanzania, West Indies, Afghanistan, South Africa |
All matches of the U19 Cricket World Cup will begin at 9:30 AM local time, corresponding to 1:00 PM IST.
Match Schedule
| Date | Match | Group/Stage | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 15, Thursday | USA vs India | Group A | Queens Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 15, Thursday | Zimbabwe vs Scotland | Group B | Takashinga Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 15, Thursday | Tanzania vs West Indies | Group D | HP Oval Namibia | 1:00 PM |
| January 16, Friday | Pakistan vs England | Group B | Takashinga Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 16, Friday | Australia vs Ireland | Group C | Namibia Cricket Ground | 1:00 PM |
| January 16, Friday | Afghanistan vs South Africa | Group D | HP Oval Namibia | 1:00 PM |
| January 17, Saturday | India vs Bangladesh | Group A | Queens Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 17, Saturday | Japan vs Sri Lanka | Group C | Namibia Cricket Ground | 1:00 PM |
| January 18, Sunday | New Zealand vs USA | Group A | Queens Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 18, Sunday | England vs Zimbabwe | Group B | Takashinga Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 18, Sunday | West Indies vs Afghanistan | Group D | HP Oval Namibia | 1:00 PM |
| January 19, Monday | Pakistan vs Scotland | Group B | Takashinga Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 19, Monday | Sri Lanka vs Ireland | Group C | Namibia Cricket Ground | 1:00 PM |
| January 19, Monday | South Africa vs Tanzania | Group D | HP Oval Namibia | 1:00 PM |
| January 20, Tuesday | Bangladesh vs New Zealand | Group A | Queens Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 20, Tuesday | Australia vs Japan | Group C | Namibia Cricket Ground | 1:00 PM |
| January 21, Wednesday | England vs Scotland | Group B | Takashinga Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 21, Wednesday | Afghanistan vs Tanzania | Group D | HP Oval Namibia | 1:00 PM |
| January 22, Thursday | Zimbabwe vs Pakistan | Group B | Takashinga Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 22, Thursday | Ireland vs Japan | Group C | Namibia Cricket Ground | 1:00 PM |
| January 22, Thursday | West Indies vs South Africa | Group D | HP Oval Namibia | 1:00 PM |
| January 23, Friday | Bangladesh vs USA | Group A | Takashinga Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 23, Friday | Sri Lanka vs Australia | Group C | Namibia Cricket Ground | 1:00 PM |
| January 24, Saturday | India vs New Zealand | Group A | Queens Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 24, Saturday | A4 vs D4 | Classification | HP Oval Namibia | 1:00 PM |
| January 25, Sunday | A1 vs D3 | Super Six Group 1 (AD) | Namibia Cricket Ground | 1:00 PM |
| January 25, Sunday | D2 vs A3 | Super Six Group 1 (AD) | HP Oval Namibia | 1:00 PM |
| January 26, Monday | B4 vs C4 | Classification | Harare Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 26, Monday | C1 vs B2 | Super Six Group 2 (BC) | Queens Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 26, Monday | D1 vs A2 | Super Six Group 1 (AD) | Namibia Cricket Ground | 1:00 PM |
| January 27, Tuesday | C2 vs B3 | Super Six Group 2 (BC) | Harare Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 27, Tuesday | C3 vs B1 | Super Six Group 2 (BC) | Queens Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 28, Wednesday | A1 vs D2 | Super Six Group 1 (AD) | Harare Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 29, Thursday | D3 vs A2 | Super Six Group 1 (AD) | Queens Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 30, Friday | D1 vs A3 | Super Six Group 1 (AD) | Harare Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 30, Friday | B3 vs C1 | Super Six Group 2 (BC) | Queens Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| January 31, Saturday | B2 vs C3 | Super Six Group 2 (BC) | Harare Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| February 1, Sunday | B1 vs C2 | Super Six Group 2 (BC) | Queens Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| February 3, Tuesday | Semi-final 1 | Semi-final | Queens Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| February 4, Wednesday | Semi-final 2 | Semi-final | Harare Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| February 4, Wednesday | Reserve Day | Semi-final | Queens Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| February 5, Thursday | Reserve Day | Semi-final | Harare Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| February 6, Friday | Final | Final | Harare Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
| February 7, Saturday | Reserve Day | Final | Harare Sports Club | 1:00 PM |
The tournament is expected to produce pulsating matches and bring new talent to the fore.
Published: 28 Dec 2025, 07:38 am IST
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