Mhatre Leads India U19s Amidst Asia Cup Setbacks

India's U19 squad for the 2026 World Cup has been announced, with Ayush Mhatre set to lead the team and Vihaan Malhotra serving as vice-captain. The squad includes talented players like Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who will join directly from a ceremony in Delhi. The team will embark on a tour of South Africa prior to the World Cup.

This tour features a three-match ODI series against South Africa, commencing January 3. Following this, India's U19 World Cup campaign kicks off on January 15 against the USA. The team seeks to overcome the disappointment of recent final losses, including a gut-wrenching defeat in the Asia Cup and a previous loss to Australia in the World Cup.

Notably, Mhatre and Malhotra will miss the South Africa series due to wrist injuries, with 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi stepping in as captain for the tour. Both injured players will undergo further management at the BCCI Centre of Excellence before rejoining the squad for the World Cup.

India's squad for ICC U19 World Cup 2026

India's squad: Ayush Mhatre (C), Vihaan Malhotra (VC), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 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