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Headline: India Announces Squad for U19 World Cup 2026, Mhatre to Captain

NEW DELHI – Five-time champions India have unveiled their squad for the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2026, set to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Ayush Mhatre will lead the team, with Vihaan Malhotra serving as his vice-captain.

India finds itself in Group B alongside New Zealand, USA, and Bangladesh. Their campaign will commence on January 15th against the USA at the Queen’s Sports Club in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. They will later face Bangladesh on 17th and New Zealand on 24th January.

The squad includes a mix of promising talent, some of whom recently showcased their skills at the U19 Asia Cup, where India finished as runners-up to Pakistan. Top-order batter Aaron George, 19, emerged as India’s leading run-scorer in the Asia Cup with 228 runs, while 17-year-old medium pacer Deepesh Devendran impressed with nine wickets.

Another standout performer was wicket-keeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu, 17, who grabbed headlines with an explosive unbeaten 209 off just 125 balls against Malaysia. His innings included 17 fours and nine sixes.

The full squad is as follows: 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.

Currently, the team is gearing up for a three-match ODI series against South Africa. However, Mhatre and Malhotra will miss the series due to injuries and will remain at the BCCI Centre of Excellence for rehabilitation. R.S. Ambrish and Mohamed Enaan replace Yuvraj Gohil and Naman Pushpak in the squad from U19 Asia Cup.

With a blend of experienced campaigners and exciting new prospects, India will be looking to add a sixth title to their U19 World Cup legacy.

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