India U19 Team Announcement: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the 15-member Indian Under-19 squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026 as well as the Under-19 tour of South Africa. The announcement marks an important step in India’s preparations for another major youth tournament, where the team will aim to extend its record as the most successful nation in U19 World Cup history.

The ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026 will be played from January 15 to February 6, 2026, with matches hosted in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Ahead of the global event, the Indian U19 team will tour South Africa for a three-match One Day International (ODI) series, which will serve as crucial match practice.

For the World Cup, Ayush Mhatre has been appointed as the captain of the Indian U19 team, reflecting the selectors’ confidence in his leadership skills and on-field performance. Vihan Malhotra has been named the vice-captain for the marquee tournament.

However, for the South Africa tour, the leadership responsibilities will be handled differently due to injury concerns. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who is just 14 years old, will lead the Indian side during the South Africa ODIs, while Aaron George has been appointed as the vice-captain for the tour.

Ayush Mhatre has been ruled out of the South Africa tour due to a wrist injury, which is why Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been handed the captaincy for the ODI series. Vihan Malhotra is also unavailable for the tour owing to a similar wrist injury.

Both Mhatre and Malhotra will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence for treatment and rehabilitation. According to officials, they are expected to recover in time for the ICC Under-19 World Cup, where Ayush Mhatre will resume his role as captain.

The Indian Under-19 team will play a three-match ODI series against South Africa U19 in January 2026. All matches will be held at Willowmoore Park.

• 1st ODI: January 3, 2026 (Saturday)

• 2nd ODI: January 5, 2026 (Monday)

• 3rd ODI: January 7, 2026 (Wednesday)

This series is expected to provide valuable exposure to young Indian players in overseas conditions ahead of the World Cup.

The ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026 will feature 16 teams, divided into four groups. After the group stage, teams will progress to the Super Six round, followed by the semi-finals and the final, which will be played in Harare.

India, a five-time U19 World Cup champion (2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2022), has been placed in Group B for the 2026 edition. The Indian team will compete against:

• New Zealand U19

• Bangladesh U19

• USA U19

India will begin its World Cup campaign on January 15 against USA at the Queens Sports Club. The second group match will be played against Bangladesh on January 17 at the same venue, followed by the final group-stage clash against New Zealand on January 24.

• Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Captain)

• Aaron George (Vice-Captain)

• Vedant Trivedi

• Abhigyan Kundu (Wicketkeeper)

• Harvansh Singh (Wicketkeeper)

• R.S. Ambrish

• Kanishk Chauhan

• Khilan A. Patel

• Mohammad Enan

• Henil Patel

• D. Deepesh

• Kishan Kumar Singh

• Uddhav Mohan

• Yuvraj Gohil

• Rahul Kumar

• Ayush Mhatre (Captain)

• Vihan Malhotra (Vice-Captain)

• Vaibhav Suryavanshi

• Aaron George

• Vedant Trivedi

• Abhigyan Kundu (Wicketkeeper)

• Harvansh Singh (Wicketkeeper)

• R.S. Ambrish

• Kanishk Chauhan

• Khilan A. Patel

• Mohammad Enan

• Henil Patel

• D. Deepesh

• Kishan Kumar Singh

• Uddhav Mohan

With a balanced squad featuring strong batting depth, versatile all-rounders, and promising bowlers, India will once again enter the U19 World Cup as one of the title favorites. The South Africa tour will play a key role in fine-tuning combinations and building momentum ahead of the global event.

As the countdown to the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026 begins, Indian cricket fans will be hopeful that the young brigade can add another trophy to the country’s rich cricketing legacy.