India U19 World Cup 2026 Schedule Released: “Boys in Blue” Face USA in Opener Tomorrow

MUMBAI/HARARE: The stage is set for the future stars of cricket. The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 officially begins tomorrow, 15 January 2026, and five-time champions India will start their campaign on the very first day.

Led by captain Ayush Mhatre, the Indian colts will lock horns with the USA U19 team in the tournament opener at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, with the match starting at 1:00 PM IST.

Team India’s Full Schedule (Group B)

India have been placed in Group B, alongside Bangladesh, New Zealand and USA.

All three of India’s group matches are scheduled at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, with a 1:00 PM IST start:

• 15 January 2026 (Tomorrow): India vs USA – 1:00 PM IST
• 17 January 2026 (Saturday): India vs Bangladesh – 1:00 PM IST
• 24 January 2026 (Saturday): India vs New Zealand – 1:00 PM IST

A strong start against USA will be crucial for India before they face fellow Asian rivals Bangladesh and a highly rated New Zealand side.

Where to Watch Live? (TV & Streaming in India)

TV Telecast (India):
The India U19 vs USA U19 World Cup match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network in India.

Live Streaming (India):
All matches of the tournament, including India vs USA, will be streamed on JioHotstar in India.

Match Time (India):

• Match start: 1:00 PM IST
• Toss: 12:30 PM IST

(Earlier speculative claims about “free for mobile users” have been removed. Broadcasters have only confirmed Star Sports on TV and JioHotstar for streaming.)

Quick Updates

• Event: ICC U19 World Cup 2026
• Host Countries: Zimbabwe & Namibia
• India’s Group: Group B – India, Bangladesh, New Zealand, USA
• India Captain: Ayush Mhatre
• Key Player: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (14-year-old prodigy batter)
• First Match: 15 January – India vs USA at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo (1:00 PM IST)

(Note on spelling: ICC and several official lists use “Vaibhav Sooryavanshi”, while some Indian outlets write “Suryavanshi”.)

Player to Watch – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

All eyes are on 14-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who comes into the World Cup on the back of a spectacular run of form.

In the warm-up game against Scotland U19 at Bulawayo Athletic Club, Bulawayo on 10 January 2026, he smashed 96 runs off 50 balls, hitting 9 fours and 7 sixes, and was named Player of the Match as India piled up 374/8 and went on to win by 121 runs (DLS).

Analysts across outlets such as ICC, Olympics.com and Wisden have highlighted his fearless top-order batting and are already tipping him as one of the standout talents of this edition. His presence at the top of the order, alongside the likes of Vihaan Malhotra and Abhigyan Kundu, gives India a formidable batting core.

India U19 Squad for World Cup 2026

Official 15-member India U19 World Cup 2026 squad (ICC-listed):

• Ayush Mhatre (Captain)
• R.S. Ambrish
• Kanishk Chouhan
• D. Deepesh
• Mohamed Enaan
• Aaron George
• Abhigyan Kundu (Wicketkeeper)
• Kishan Kumar Singh
• Vihaan Malhotra
• Udhav Mohan
• Henil Patel
• Khilan A. Patel
• Harvansh Singh (Wicketkeeper)
• Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
• Vedant Trivedi

This 15-player list matches the official India squad for Group B, as carried by ICC-linked and major Indian outlets, and replaces any earlier, non-official names.

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