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Ayush Mhatre to lead India in U19 World Cup, BCCI names Vaibhav Suryavanshi interim captain for SA tour

Ayush Mhatre to lead India in U19 World Cup, BCCI names Vaibhav Suryavanshi interim captain for SA tour

Image Credit: Manoj Soundararajan/Alamy Live News
India has been placed in Group B alongside New Zealand, the USA and Bangladesh.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the squad for the ICC Under-19 Men’s ODI World Cup 2026. Ayush Mhatre and Vihaan Malhotra will continue as captain and vice-captain. Yuvraj Hogil and Naman Pushpak, who were part of the team in the Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup 2025, have been dropped, with Mohamed Enaan and R.S. Ambrish replacing them.

Entering the tournament as 5-time champions (2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2022) and last year’s finalists, India will be the favourites to win. Having Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the side, who are already superstars in the Indian Premier League (IPL), just adds more weight to the expectations.

India’s squad for ICC Under-19 Men’s ODI World Cup 2026

While Mhatre will lead the team in the ICC event, he won’t be featuring in the preparatory series against South Africa. He and Vihaan are out with wrist injuries and will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. In Mhatre’s absence, Suryavanshi will captain the side, and Aaron George will be his deputy.

“Ayush Mhatre and Vihaan Malhotra have sustained wrist injuries and will miss the South Africa tour. The duo will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence for further management of their injuries and will join the team for the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup,” BCCI wrote when announcing the squad.

India’s Under-19 squad for South Africa series

India vs South Africa Under-19 series schedule

DayDateMatchVenue
Saturday 3rd January1st One-DayWillowmoore Park
Monday 5th January2nd One-DayWillowmoore Park
Wednesday 7th January3rd One-DayWillowmoore Park
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