Ayush Mhatre Appointed Captain of India's U-19 World Cup Squad

Ayush Mhatre Leads Indian U-19 Team

On Saturday, Ayush Mhatre was officially announced as the captain of the 15-member Indian squad for the upcoming U-19 World Cup, scheduled to take place in Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15 to February 6 next year.

Unfortunately, both Mhatre and his teammate Vihaan Malhotra will be unable to participate in the preceding three-match ODI series in South Africa due to wrist injuries.

In their absence, the talented Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will take over as captain for the South Africa tour, where the ODIs are set to occur in Benoni on January 3, 5, and 7. Aaron George has been appointed as the vice-captain for this series.

Both Mhatre and Malhotra, who has been designated as vice-captain for the U-19 World Cup, will report to the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for injury management before rejoining the Indian team. Sooryavanshi and George are also part of the U-19 World Cup roster.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed, “Ayush Mhatre and Vihaan Malhotra have sustained wrist injuries and will miss the South Africa tour. They will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence for further management of their injuries and will join the team for the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup.”

This edition of the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup will feature 16 teams divided into four groups, followed by the Super Six stage, semi-finals, and the final, which will be held in Harare.

India, a five-time champion (2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2022), has been placed in Group B alongside New Zealand, the USA, and Bangladesh.

The Indian team will kick off their campaign against the USA on January 15 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, followed by matches against Bangladesh on January 17 and New Zealand on January 24, both at the same venue.