Ayush Mhatre has been appointed as the captain of India for the upcoming Men’s Under-19 World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15 to February 6. However, Mhatre, along with Vihaan Malhotra, who is also part of the U19 World Cup squad, will not participate in the pre-tournament 50-over tour of South Africa from January 3-7 due to wrist injuries.
In the absence of Mhatre, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will lead the team during the South Africa tour, with matches scheduled at Willowmoore Park in Benoni. Yuvraj Gohil and Rahul Kumar have been included in the squad by the Junior Men’s Selection Committee.
Both Mhatre and Malhotra underwent assessments for their wrist injuries in Mumbai, and their current status remains uncertain. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated that the duo will receive further injury management at the BCCI Centre of Excellence before joining the team for the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup.
RS Ambrish and Mohamed Enaan have been brought back into the India U19 team, replacing Gohil and Naman Pushpak. The 2026 ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup will involve 16 teams divided into four groups, followed by a Super Six stage, semi-finals, and the final in Harare.
