New Delhi [India], January 6 (ANI): The ICC Males’s Beneath-19 ODI Cricket World Cup 2026 is about to be performed from January 15 to February 6 in Zimbabwe and Namibia, with younger cricketers from throughout the globe set to make a case for themselves on the world stage.
From the likes of India’s younger sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi to Australia’s Oliver Peake, here is an inventory of the gamers to control within the marquee U19 World Cup 2026, in accordance with ICC’s media launch:
India – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Nonetheless solely 14, cricket won’t have seen a expertise as prodigious as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who can be one of many star points of interest at this event.
Asserting himself as a famous person with a century on debut for India U19 whereas nonetheless solely 13, Sooryavanshi then went on to change into the youngest participant to signal an IPL contract earlier than smashing a 35-ball century, the second quickest within the league’s historical past.
A damaging batter, he scored 262 runs within the current U19 Asia Cup, averaging greater than 50 with a strike price of 182, breaking the document for the quickest Youth ODI century on his strategy to 171 from 95 balls towards the UAE.
India – Ayush Mhatre
Mhatre, 18, is about to steer the Males in Blue within the U19 World Cup and is one other title to be careful for. Boasting an unbelievable common of 65.42 in Checklist A, Mhatre was the main run-getter within the Beneath-19 Asia Cup 2024 for India, having notched up 176 runs in 5 matches at a mean of 44.00.
Australia – Oliver Peake
Oliver Peake arrives in Zimbabwe and Namibia understanding what it takes to win this event, having been referred to as up as damage cowl two years in the past within the 2024 version of the U19 World Cup, which Australia triumphed.
He scored priceless runs in each the semi-final and closing in 2024 and has kicked on since then with a primary Huge Bash deal and a first-class debut for Victoria.
Not solely that, Peake was referred to as as much as Australia’s Check tour of Sri Lanka in February to get expertise of sub-continental situations and change into accustomed to the group setting. He’ll captain the group this time round.
England – Farhan Ahmed
The youthful brother of England worldwide Rehan Ahmed, Farhan Ahmed has already rewritten the document books of the English county sport.
Ahmed was simply 16 when he made his senior debut for Nottinghamshire, their second youngest participant in historical past, whereas in 2024, he grew to become the youngest-ever participant to take 10 wickets in a first-class match, breaking a document that had belonged to W G Grace since 1865.
This can be his second ICC U19 Males’s Cricket World Cup, captaining the group this time round after ending as England’s second-highest wicket-taker two years in the past.
Afghanistan – Faisal Shinozoda
On the current ACA U19 Males’s Asia Cup, Faisal Shinozoda caught the attention as he racked up 155 runs throughout three innings, together with an excellent century towards Bangladesh.
He seems to get pleasure from taking part in Bangladesh, having additionally introduced up three figures towards them earlier in 2025, whereas Faisal scored a pair of half-centuries when Afghanistan toured India in November.
A right-handed top-order batter, Faisal has proven that he’s able to racking up runs each as an opener and at quantity three.
South Africa – Jorich van Schalkwyk
Jorich van Schalkwyk started the summer time by breaking a 25-year document for South Africa U19s earlier than taking down a world mark a matter of days later.
The opening bat overhauled Jacques Rudolph’s mark from 2000 when he smashed an unbeaten 164 towards Bangladesh in July earlier than he grew to become the primary double centurion in males’s Youth ODIs three days later with 215 towards Zimbabwe in Harare.
He has adopted that up with a first-class debut and can now purpose to be the third successive South African to be named Participant of the Event after Dewald Brevis and Kwena Maphaka.
New Zealand – Aryan Mann
A wicket-keeper batter, Aryan Mann, made a dream begin to first-class cricket with a pair of half-centuries on debut in November 2025.
Enjoying for Northern Districts alongside the likes of Jeet Raval, Mann confirmed he was eminently able to excelling on the highest degree.
He had beforehand impressed for Northern Districts on the U19 degree and can now look to assist New Zealand to their first title, with their greatest earlier displaying a closing look in 1998.
Bangladesh – Rizan Hossan
A pace-bowling all-rounder who can be a really helpful batter, Rizan Hossan will hope to sooner or later be as influential for Bangladesh as his hero Ben Stokes has been for England.
Though he was slightly quieter throughout the U19 Asia Cup, Rizan confirmed his price earlier within the yr with back-to-back half-centuries towards Afghanistan. On the similar time, he additionally scored an excellent century towards England on a summer time tour. Whether or not it’s his center order batting or first-change bowling, Rizan could have a giant position to play for Bangladesh.
Zimbabwe – Kian Blignaut
One half of a pair of twins with a really well-known title in Zimbabwean cricketing circles, Kian Blignaut will be a part of his brother Michael in trying to step out of the shadow of their father Andy.
A top-order batter who may also bowl leg spin, Blignaut caught the attention with 47 for Zimbabwe A towards Scotland final April.
He additionally scored a high-quality century towards Zimbabwe home franchise, the Rhinos, in November 2025 for Zimbabwe U19, ending unbeaten on 110 within the two-wicket victory that featured a century stand along with his brother.
Eire – Adam Leckey
When Eire launched into a groundbreaking tour of Zimbabwe earlier this yr, Adam Leckey confirmed that he was the muse of their batting line-up with a string of stellar shows.
As he returns to southern Africa, the opener can be hoping to construct on some outstanding performances after racking up 323 runs in 5 innings with 4 half-centuries.
The recipient of the 2025/26 Cricket Eire Abroad Scholarship, Leckey adopted within the footsteps of Harry Tector and Andrew Balbirnie in spending time in Australia with Randwick Petersham.
Pakistan – Sameer Minhas
For a Pakistani cricketer, there are few higher methods to seize the creativeness of your nation than a record-breaking century in a event closing victory.
That’s precisely what Sameer Minhas achieved when he smashed a swashbuckling 172 within the U19 Asia Cup closing victory for Pakistan, the best rating within the closing of a U19 event, and the best rating ever by a Pakistan U19 batter.
Racking up 471 runs in 5 innings with two tons of and a fifty, almost 200 greater than some other participant, he comes into the event in supreme type.
Sri Lanka – Sethmika Seneviratne
It should have been 10 years since Sri Lanka final made it to the semi-finals of the event and if they’re to match or higher the category of 2016, then Sethmika Seneviratne could have a giant position to play.
The fitting-arm medium pacer is a helpful batter, however it’s with the ball the place he does essentially the most harm.
In the course of the current U19 Asia Cup, he picked up eight wickets at a mean of 15.75 and an financial system price simply over 4, whereas he additionally proved prolific on a tour of the West Indies in September.
West Indies – Jonathan van Lange
A multi-sport athlete, Jonathan van Lange has thrived for West Indies U19, however can be a nationwide desk tennis champion.
And but, he nonetheless has a strategy to go to be recognised as the very best athlete in his household, along with his older sister having represented Guyana within the ladies’s 100m freestyle on the 2012 Olympics.
Alongside skipper Joshua Dorne, Van Lange can be a vital determine within the West Indian batting line-up. (ANI)
