Bulawayo (Zimbabwe): Favourites India will look to flaunt their superabundance of talent as they begin the quest for a record-extending sixth Under-19 World Cup title with what is expected to be a rather easy outing against USA in the ICC showpiece beginning here on Thursday.
Champions in five of the 16 editions, India are by far the most dominant team in the history of the competition, which started back in 1988 with Australia emerging winners in the inaugural event.
The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Kane Williamson, Joe Root and Steve Smith, who have over the years established themselves as stalwarts of the game, first gained prominence through this very tournament, which gave the cricket world an early peek into their exceptional talent.
Shubman Gill, India’s current Test and ODI skipper, too first burst onto the scene with his exploits in the 2018 edition, in which the team triumphed under the leadership of Prithvi Shaw, whose fortunes have, however, waned in recent years after an excellent start to his international career.
In the past, the event has also served as a stepping stone for men like Brian Lara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Graeme Smith, Michael Clarke, Hashim Amla, and Alastair Cook, all of whom have gone on to become greats of the game.
Having missed out on the last edition in 2024, when they lost to Australia in the summit showdown, India, who have won the trophy in 2000, 2008, 2012 and 2022 besides 2018, will be keen to add a sixth title to their tally this time around.
The squad looks balanced and formidable on paper, and 13 wins in their last 16 matches, including series victories in England, Australia and South Africa, clearly show that the team knows how to win, more importantly away from home.
Spearheading the Indian challenge will be wunderkind Vaibhav Suryavanshi, skipper Ayush Mhatre, vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra, and top-order player Aaron George, who was the top-scorer for his side with 228 runs in the last U-19 Asia Cup, where arch-rivals Pakistan stunned them in the summit clash.
Though Mhatre’s form has been a bit of a concern in recent times, the side also features Abhigyan Kundu, who has done exceedingly well.
At just 14 years old, Suryavanshi is already one of the most talked-about young cricketers in the world, having first made headlines with an electrifying 35-ball century in the Indian Premier League’s 2025 season.
The precocious Suryavanshi seems destined for stardom but there are others too in this Indian setup who are seen as stars of the future and would carry forward the legacy left behind by the likes of Kohli, Rohit and Gill.
Having missed the three-match ODI series against South Africa in the build-up to the tournament with injuries, Mhatre and Malhotra have returned to the squad to bolster the batting and brighten the team’s prospects.
As far as pace bowling is concerned, pacer Deepesh Devendran could be the X-factor for the side, his awkward action expected to play a part in his success.
RS Ambrish bowls at a good pace and also has the ability to make useful contributions with the bat. Kishan Singh and Henil Patel are the other two pacers in the team.
As they enter the tournament proper, India would not like to read much into their 20-run defeat to England in a rain-hit warm-up fixture.
Led by the big-hitting Utkarsh Srivastava, USA are not likely to pose any serious threat to the formidable Indian side.
India have been placed in Group B alongside New Zealand, USA, and Bangladesh.
After the game against USA, India will face Bangladesh on January 17 and New Zealand on January 24 at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
Zimbabwe and Namibia are jointly hosting the 16-team tournament, which includes surprise entries such as Tanzania and Japan.
This will be Tanzania’s first appearance at a global tournament, while Japan will be playing in their second U-19 World Cup.
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.
