Vaibhav Suryavanshi to lead India U19 on South Africa tour, Ayush Mhatre named captain for 2026 U19 World Cup

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has unveiled India’s Under-19 squads for two major upcoming assignments: U19 tour of South Africa And 2026 U19 World Championship. The 14-year-old child prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been named captain of the three-match ODI series in South Africa from January 3, while he is regular skipper Ayush Mhatre is expected to retain the captaincy for the much-awaited U19 World Cup, which starts on January 15. Notably, the multi-team event will be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi will lead India U19 during the tour of South Africa

In a move that highlights his meteoric rise, Suryavanshi will lead the Indian side on their short pre-season tour of South Africa. At just 14 years old, Suryavanshi becomes the youngest player to ever captain an Indian representative side at this level. The Bihar-born batsman, who was recently honored with the Bal Puruskar Award, is in blistering form. He recently became the youngest centurion in List A cricket history and ended 2025 as India’s leading run-scorer in Youth ODIs. Joining him in the leadership group for the South Africa tour is Aaron Georgewho will serve as vice-captain.

The South African tour is seen as a crucial preparatory phase, providing young players with an opportunity to experience overseas conditions and competitive cricket ahead of the global tournament later this month.

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Ayush Mhatre named India captain for 2026 U19 World Cup

The permanent leadership duo of Mhatre (captain) and I hate Malhotra (vice-captain) is expected to return at the 2026 U19 World Cup. Both players suffered wrist injuries, forcing them to skip the tour of South Africa. The BCCI medical team has taken a cautious approach and sent the pair to the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru for rehabilitation.

The U19 tournament consists of 16 teams divided into four groups, followed by the Super Six stage, semi-finals and the final in Harare. Five-time champions India have been drawn in Group B alongside New Zealand, Bangladesh and the US. The Boys in Blue will kick off their campaign against the USA on January 15 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

India’s squad for tour of South Africa: 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.

Indian squad for the 2026 ICC Men’s U19 World Cup: 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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