India U19 Squad Announced for South Africa Tour & ICC U19 World Cup 2026

Cricket

oi-Gaurav Sharma

India’s
latest
India
U19
squad
announcement
sets
up
a
busy
start
to
2026,
with
separate
captains
named
for
the
South
Africa
one-day
series
and
the
ICC
Men’s
U19
World
Cup
in
Zimbabwe
and
Namibia,
as
the
Junior
Cricket
Committee
finalises
plans
following
the
recent
Asia
Cup
campaign
in
the
UAE.

The
Junior
Cricket
Committee
selected
the
India
U19
squad
for
a
three-match
one-day
tour
of
South
Africa
and
the
ICC
Men’s
U19
World
Cup,
which
will
run
from
January
15
across
Zimbabwe
and
Namibia,
confirming
different
leadership
roles
for
Vaibhav
Suryavanshi
and
Ayush
Mhatre
across
the
two
events.

India
U19
squad
leadership
and
South
Africa
tour
details

For
the
South
Africa
leg,
Vaibhav
Suryavanshi
will
captain
the
India
U19
squad,
with
Aaron
George
serving
as
vice-captain,
as
the
team
travels
soon
after
finishing
runners-up
to
Pakistan
in
the
Asia
Cup
in
the
UAE,
giving
young
players
quick
exposure
to
foreign
pitches
and
conditions.

The
South
Africa
series
features
three
one-day
matches
at
Willowmoore
Park
in
Benoni,
scheduled
between
January
3
and
7,
and
Suryavanshi
steps
up
from
vice-captain
of
the
white-ball
side
to
lead
the
team,
while
Mhatre
misses
the
tour
due
to
a
wrist
injury
that
requires
further
management.

India
U19
squad
injuries
and
World
Cup
plans

Vihaan
Malhotra
has
also
been
ruled
out
of
the
South
Africa
leg
with
a
wrist
issue,
and
both
Malhotra
and
Mhatre
will
report
to
the
BCCI
Centre
of
Excellence
for
treatment
and
monitoring,
before
they
are
expected
to
rejoin
the
India
U19
squad
in
time
for
the
ICC
Men’s
U19
World
Cup.

During
the
World
Cup,
Mhatre
will
resume
the
captaincy
of
the
India
U19
squad,
with
Malhotra
installed
as
vice-captain,
while
Suryavanshi
and
George
stay
part
of
the
core
group,
keeping
continuity
between
the
South
Africa
series
and
the
showpiece
event
across
Zimbabwe
and
Namibia.

The
ICC
Men’s
U19
World
Cup
will
feature
16
teams
split
into
four
groups,
followed
by
the
Super
Six
stage,
then
semi-finals
and
a
final
in
Harare,
with
India
placed
in
Group
B
alongside
New
Zealand,
USA
and
Bangladesh
as
five-time
champions
from
2000,
2008,
2012,
2018
and
2022.

India
begin
their
World
Cup
campaign
against
USA
on
January
15
at
Queens
Sports
Club
in
Bulawayo,
then
play
Bangladesh
on
January
17
at
the
same
venue,
before
facing
New
Zealand
on
January
24,
aiming
to
secure
early
momentum
from
a
group
that
mixes
emerging
and
experienced
age-group
opponents.

The
India
U19
squad
for
the
South
Africa
tour
consists
of
Suryavanshi
as
captain,
George
as
vice-captain,
batters
and
all-rounders
Vedant
Trivedi,
R.S.
Ambrish,
Kanishk
Chouhan,
Khilan
A.
Patel,
Mohamed
Enaan,
Henil
Patel,
D.
Deepesh,
Kishan
Kumar
Singh,
Udhav
Mohan,
Yuvraj
Gohil,
Rahul
Kumar,
plus
wicketkeepers
Abhigyan
Kundu
and
Harvansh
Singh.

For
the
ICC
Men’s
U19
World
Cup
2026,
the
India
U19
squad
includes
captain
Mhatre,
vice-captain
Malhotra,
Suryavanshi,
George,
Trivedi,
Kundu,
Singh,
Ambrish,
Chouhan,
Khilan
A.
Patel,
Enaan,
Henil
Patel,
Deepesh,
Kishan
Kumar
Singh
and
Udhav
Mohan,
keeping
almost
the
entire
touring
core
intact
for
the
bigger
tournament.

With
five
previous
titles
and
a
strong
India
U19
squad
spread
across
the
South
Africa
tour
and
the
World
Cup,
the
selectors
have
kept
core
players
together
while
managing
injuries,
giving
the
group
time
in
foreign
conditions
before
chasing
another
trophy
in
Zimbabwe
and
Namibia
from
January
15.