Mhatre will lead a strong Indian team at the U19 World Cup, with Vihaan Malhotra as his deputy. Malhotra, who recently grabbed attention after being picked by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL auction, is expected to play a crucial role in the run-up to the tournament. However, both Mhatre and Malhotra have been ruled out of the tour of South Africa due to wrist injuries and will instead report to the BCCI Center of Excellence for rehabilitation. It is expected that the duo will link directly to the team for the World Cup.
In the absence of both the designated captain and vice-captain, responsibility for leading the team in South Africa has been transferred to Vaibhav Suryavanshiwith Aaron George as his deputy. The three-match one-day series against South Africa U19 will be played on January 3, 5 and 7 and is seen as an ideal platform ahead of the World Cup.
India’s U19 World Cup campaign begins on January 15 in Bulawayo where they will face the United States of America in their opening match. They will then take on Bangladesh and New Zealand in Group B. The final of the tournament is scheduled for February 6.
Five-time champions India remain the most successful team in the history of the Under-19 World Cup. The World Cup squad includes both wicketkeeping options Abhigyan Kundu and Harvansh Singh, along with a mix of all-rounders and specialist bowlers who have impressed at the junior level.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (c), Aaron George (vc), Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A. Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D. Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan, Yuvraj Gohil, Rahul Kumar.
Ayush Mhatre (c), Vihaan Malhotra (vc), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Aaron George, Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A. Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D. Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan
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