Favourites India will look to showcase their wealth of talent as they launch their campaign for a record-extending sixth Under-19 World Cup title against the USA in what is expected to be a comfortable opening fixture at the ICC showpiece in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, on Thursday.
India is by far the most dominant team in the competition’s history, which began in 1988 with Australia winning the first event. India has won 5 of the 16 editions.
This event gave the cricket world an early glimpse into the extraordinary skill of players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, and Steve Smith, who have since established themselves as mainstays of the game.
India’s current Test and ODI captain, Shubman Gill, also made his debut with his achievements in the 2018 edition, which the side won under the captaincy of Prithvi Shaw, whose fortunes have since declined following a stellar start to his international career.
Men like Brian Lara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Graeme Smith, Michael Clarke, Hashim Amla, and Alastair Cook—all of whom went on to become greats of the game—have previously used the event as a stepping stone.
India, who have won the trophy in 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2022 in addition to 2018, would be eager to add a sixth championship to their collection this time around after missing out on the last edition in 2024 when they lost to Australia in the summit match.
On paper, the team appears strong and well-balanced, and their 13 victories in their last 16 games—including series wins in South Africa, Australia, and England—clearly demonstrate that they know how to win, especially away from home.
Wunderkind Vaibhav Suryavanshi, captain Ayush Mhatre, vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra, and top-order player Aaron George—who led his team in scoring with 228 runs in the previous U-19 Asia Cup, where bitter rivals Pakistan shocked them in the summit match—will lead the Indian challenge.
The team also includes Abhigyan Kundu, who has performed remarkably well, despite Mhatre’s recent poor play.
Suryavanshi, who made headlines in the Indian Premier League’s 2025 season with an incredible 35-ball century, is already one of the most talked-about teenage cricket players in the world at just 14 years old.
The talented Suryavanshi is destined for fame, but there are other players in this Indian lineup who are regarded as potential stars and would continue the tradition of players like Kohli, Rohit, and Gill.
Mhatre and Malhotra have returned to the squad to strengthen the batting and improve the team’s chances after missing the three-match ODI series against South Africa before the tournament due to injuries.
Deepesh Devendran, a pacer, has the potential to be the team’s X-factor when it comes to pace bowling; his ungainly action is predicted to contribute to his success.
R S Ambrish can contribute significantly with the bat in addition to bowling at a decent pace. The other two pacers on the team are Henil Patel and Kishan Singh.
India would prefer not to draw too many conclusions from their 20-run loss to England in a rain-soaked warm-up match as they move into the tournament proper.
The USA, led by the powerful Utkarsh Srivastava, are unlikely to be a significant challenge to the strong Indian team.
India, the USA, Bangladesh, and New Zealand are all in Group B. India will play Bangladesh on January 17 and New Zealand on January 24 at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo following the match against the United States.
The 16-team competition, which is co-hosted by Namibia and Zimbabwe, has unexpected competitors like Japan and Tanzania. While Japan will be competing in their second U-19 World Cup, Tanzania will be participating in their first international competition.
Teams (from):
India: Ayush Mhatre (c), R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, D. Deepesh, Mohamed Enaan, Aaron George, Abhigyan Kundu, Kishan Kumar Singh, Vihaan Malhotra, Udhav Mohan, Henil Patel, Khilan A. Patel, Harvansh Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Vedant Trivedi
USA: Utkarsh Srivastava (c), Adnit Jhamb, Shiv Shani, Nitish Sudini, Advaith Krishna, Sahir Bhatia, Arjun Mahesh, Amrinder Gill, Sabrish Prasad, Adit Kappa, Sahil Garg, Amogh Reddy Arepally, Ritvik Appidi, Rayaan Taj, Rishabh Shimpi
