ICC U-19 Men's World Cup 2026: Jay Shah Sends Best Wishes to Young Cricketers
ICC U-19 Men's World Cup Kicks Off
New Delhi, January 15: Jay Shah, the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), extended his best wishes to the Under-19 players as the ICC U-19 Men's World Cup commenced today.
This year's tournament is scheduled from January 15 to February 6 and will be jointly hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia.
In a post on X, Shah expressed, "Wishing all teams and players the best of luck in the @ICC Under-19 Men’s @cricketworldcup starting on January 15 across host nations Zimbabwe and Namibia. Our youth events have historically been a stepping stone for many of cricket's greatest talents, and I am confident this will continue."
The Indian Under-19 team is set to begin its quest for a record sixth ICC U19 World Cup title against the USA in Bulawayo today, led by captain Ayush Mhatre.
Prior to the World Cup, the Indian squad has achieved remarkable success, winning 16 Youth ODIs and suffering only five losses, boasting an impressive win percentage exceeding 76. They enter the tournament with the highest win-loss ratio of 3.2.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a key player for India, has amassed 973 runs in Youth ODIs at an average of 54.05, including three centuries and four fifties, with a top score of 171. His strike rate exceeds 164, making him one of the most formidable batsmen heading into the competition.
Leading up to the World Cup, the India U19 team has claimed victory in five out of six series, highlighted by a clean sweep of 3-0 against Australia at home, a hard-fought 3-2 win over England in the UK, and another 3-0 series triumph against Australia. They also secured a 3-0 series victory in South Africa.
However, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Under-19 Asia Cups have posed challenges for India, as they faced a heavy defeat against Pakistan by 191 runs in last year's final and lost to Bangladesh Under-19 by 59 runs in 2024.
Team India also suffered a 79-run defeat to Australia in the U19 World Cup 2024 final, where Mahli Beardman delivered an exceptional performance with figures of 3/15, limiting India to 174 all out while chasing a target of 254. This time, India will seek revenge, while the Australian team, captained by Oliver Peake, aims to equal India's title count with a fifth championship win.