ICC U19 World Cup 2026 Squads: Full Player List, Groups & Preview

The stage is set for the next generation of cricketing icons to announce themselves to the world. The 16th edition of the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup is poised to begin on January 15, 2026, with the scenic grounds of Zimbabwe and Namibia playing host to 16 hopeful nations. And the Men’s T20 worldcup 2026 will begun from february 2026.

From the raw pace of Pakistan to the technical solidity of India and the flair of the West Indies, this tournament has historically been the breeding ground for legends like Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, and Steve Smith. As the 2026 edition dawns, fans are once again asking: Who will be the next global superstar?

Tournament Format & Key Dates

• Hosts: Zimbabwe & Namibia
• Start Date: January 15, 2026
• Final: February 6, 2026 (Harare)
• Format: The 16 teams are divided into four groups (A, B, C, D). Following a round-robin group stage, the top teams will advance to the Super Six stage, culminating in the semi-finals and the grand finale at the Harare Sports Club.

The tournament promises intense action, with defending champions Australia looking to retain their crown against perennial heavyweights like India and England.

Group A: The Aussie Defence

Teams: Australia, Ireland, Japan, Sri Lanka

Defending champions Australia headline Group A, led by captain Oliver Peake. The Aussies are traditionally dominant at this level, blending aggressive batting with athletic fielding. They face a stern test from Sri Lanka, captained by Vimath Dinsara, a side known for producing mystery spinners and wristy batters.

Japan returns to the global stage with a squad featuring the Hara-Hinze brothers (Charles, Gabriel, and Montgomery), adding a fascinating narrative to the group. Ireland, led by Olly Riley, will look to play the role of giant-killers.

Group A Squads

• Australia: Oliver Peake (c), Kasey Barton, Naden Cooray, Jayden Draper, Ben Gordon, Steven Hogan, Thomas Hogan, John James, Charles Lachmund, Will Malajczuk, Nitesh Samuel, Hayden Schiller, Aryan Sharma, William Byrom, Alex Lee Young.
• Ireland: Olly Riley (c), Reuben Wilson, Alex Armstrong, Callum Armstrong, Marko Bates, Sebastian Dijkstra, Thomas Ford, Samuel Haslett, Adam Leckey, Febin Manoj, Luke Murray, Robert O’Brien, Freddie Ogilby, James West, Bruce Whaley. Reserves: Peter le Roux, William Shields.
• Japan: Kazuma Kato-Stafford (c), Charles Hara-Hinze, Gabriel Hara-Hinze, Montgomery Hara-Hinze, Kaisei Kobayashi-Doggett, Timothy Moore, Skyler Nakayama-Cook, Ryuki Ozeki, Nihar Parmar, Nikhil Pol, Chihaya Sekine, Hugo Tani-Kelly, Sandev Aaryan Waduge, Kai Wall, Taylor Waugh.
• Sri Lanka: Vimath Dinsara (c), Kavija Gamage, Dimantha Mahavithana, Viran Chamuditha, Dulnith Sigera, Chamika Heentigala, Adam Hilmy, Chamarindu Nethsara, Sethmika Seneviratne, Kugathas Mathulan, Rasith Nimsara, Vigneshwaran Akash, Jeewantha Sriram, Senuja Wekunagoda, Malintha Silva.

Group B: The Group of Death

Teams: Bangladesh, India, New Zealand, USA

All eyes will be on Group B, arguably the toughest pool in the competition. India, the most successful team in U19 history, is led by Ayush Mhatre and features the highly-rated Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. They will lock horns with Asian rivals Bangladesh, captained by Azizul Hakim Tamim. Matches between these two nations have become high-voltage encounters in recent years.

New Zealand, led by Tom Jones, brings a structured and disciplined approach, while the USA continues its rapid rise in the cricketing world. Led by Utkarsh Srivastava, the American squad is packed with talent eager to upset the established order.

Group B Squads

• Bangladesh: Azizul Hakim Tamim (c), Zawad Abrar, Samiun Basir Ratul, Sheikh Parvez Jibon, Rizan Hossan, Shaharia Al Amin, Shadin Islam, Md Abdullah, Farid Hasan Faysal, Kalam Siddiki Aleen, Rifat Beg, Saad Islam Razin, Al Fahad, Shahriar Ahmed, Iqbal Hossain. Reserves: Abdur Rahim, Debashis Sarkar Deba, Rafi Uzzaman Rafi, Farhan Shahriar, Farzan Ahmed Alif, Sanjid Majumder, Md Sobuj.
• India: Ayush Mhatre (c), R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, D. Deepesh, Mohamed Enaan, Aaron George, Abhigyan Kundu, Kishan Kumar Singh, Vihaan Malhotra, Udhav Mohan, Henil Patel, Khilan A. Patel, Harvansh Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Vedant Trivedi.
• New Zealand: Tom Jones (c), Marco Alpe, Hugo Bogue, Harry Burns, Mason Clarke, Jacob Cotter, Aryan Mann, Brandon Matzopoulos, Flynn Morey, Snehith Reddy, Callum Samson, Jaskaran Sandhu, Selwin Sanjay, Hunter Shore, Luke Harrison.
• USA: Utkarsh Srivastava (c), Adnit Jhamb, Shiv Shani, Nitish Sudini, Advaith Krishna, Sahir Bhatia, Arjun Mahesh, Amrinder Gill, Sabrish Prasad, Adit Kappa, Sahil Garg, Amogh Reddy Arepally, Ritvik Appidi, Rayaan Taj, Rishabh Shimpi.

Group C: Hosts and Heavyweights

Teams: England, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe

Co-hosts Zimbabwe will look to maximize their home advantage in Group C. Captained by Simbarashe Mudzengerere, the local lads will need to be at their best to navigate a group containing England and Pakistan.

England, led by Thomas Rew, boasts a squad deep in county experience, including names like Farhan Ahmed and Luc Benkenstein (not listed but often key in this age group—correction: based on list provided, key names are Rew and Ahmed). Pakistan, led by Farhan Yousaf, is renowned for unearthing express fast bowlers, and players like Ali Raza will be ones to watch. Scotland rounds out the group, looking to punch above their weight against their Full Member counterparts.

Group C Squads

• England: Thomas Rew (c), Farhan Ahmed, Ralphie Albert, Will Bennison, Ben Dawkins, Caleb Falconer, Ali Farooq, Alex French, Alex Green, Luke Hands, Manny Lumsden, Ben Mayes, James Minto, Joe Moores, Sebastian Morgan.
• Pakistan: Farhan Yousaf (c), Usman Khan, Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Hasan Baloch, Ali Raza, Daniyal Ali Khan, Hamza Zahoor, Huzaifa Ahsan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Sayyam, Mohammad Shayan, Niqab Shafiq, Sameer Minhas, Umar Zaib. Reserves: Abdul Qadir, Farhanullah, Hassan Khan, Ibtisam Azhar, Mohammad Huzaifa.
• Scotland: Thomas Knight (c), Finlay Carter, Max Chaplin, George Cutler, Rory Grant, Finlay Jones, Ollie Jones, Olly Pillinger, Ethan Ramsay, Theo Robinson, Manu Saraswat, Ram Sharma, Shreyas Tekale, Shlok Thaker, Jake Woodhouse.
• Zimbabwe: Simbarashe Mudzengerere (c), Kian Blignaut, Michael Blignaut, Leeroy Chiwaula, Tatenda Chimugoro, Brendon Senzere, Nathaniel Hlabangana, Takudzwa Makoni, Panashe Mazai, Webster Madhidhi, Shelton Mazvitorera, Kupakwashe Muradzi, Brandon Ndiweni, Dhruv Patel, Benny Zuze.

Group D: Flair, Grit, and Growth

Teams: Afghanistan, South Africa, Tanzania, West Indies

Group D offers a fascinating clash of styles. South Africa, playing in conditions familiar to them (being neighbors to the hosts), are led by Muhammad Bulbulia. They will face the unpredictable brilliance of the West Indies, captained by Joshua Dorne, a team that can beat anyone on their day.

Afghanistan continues to be a major force in youth cricket. Their captain, Mahboob Khan, leads a side that plays with passion and heavy spin resources. Tanzania, led by Laksh Bakrania, represents the growing footprint of African cricket, and they will be eager to showcase their development on this massive platform.

Group D Squads

• Afghanistan: Mahboob Khan (c), Khalid Ahmadzai, Osman Sadat, Faisal Khan, Uzairullah Niazai, Aziz Mia Khil, Nazif Amiri, Khatir Stanikzai, Nooristani, Abdul Aziz, Salam Khan, Wahid Zadran, Zaitullah Shaheen, Rohullah Arab, Hafieez Zadran. Reserves: Aqil Khan, Fahim Qasemi, Izat Noor.
• South Africa: Muhammad Bulbulia (c), JJ Basson, Daniel Bosman, Corne Botha, Paul James, Enathi Khitshini Tembalethu, Michael Kruiskamp, Adnaan Lagadien, Bayanda Majola, Armaan Manack, Bandile Mbatha, Lethabo Phahlamohlaka, Jason Rowles, Ntandoyenkosi Soni, Jorich van Schalkwyk.
• Tanzania: Laksh Bakrania (c), Karim Kiseto, Hamza Ally, Khalidy Amiri, Abdulazak Mohamedi, Ayaan Shariff, Omary Ramadhani, Dylan Thakrar, Agustino Mwamele, Ally Hafidhi, Acrey Pascal (wk), Darpan Jobanputra, Mohammedi Simba, Raymond Francis, Alfred Daniel.
• West Indies: Joshua Dorne (c), Jewel Andrew, Shamar Apple, Shaquan Belle, Zachary Carter, Tanez Francis, R’jai Gittens, Vitel Lawes, Micah McKenzie, Matthew Miller, Isra-el Morton, Jakeem Pollard, Aadian Racha, Kunal Tilokani, Jonathan Van Lange. Reserves: Brendan Boodoo, Tyriek Bryan, Earsinho Fontaine, Deshawn James.

Why Watch the U19 World Cup?

This tournament is more than just a trophy hunt; it is a glimpse into the future of international cricket. The players you see in Zimbabwe and Namibia today will be the headline acts of the 2031 and 2035 Men’s World Cups.

With the tournament kicking off on January 15, the cricketing world will descend on southern Africa to witness the birth of new rivalries and the rise of new heroes. Whether it’s the “Group of Death” battles in Group B or the hosts Zimbabwe trying to make history, the 2026 edition promises to be a classic.