Big call before World Cup: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi named U19 captain; to lead India in One-Day series against South Africa

NEW DELHI: The BCCI’s Junior Cricket Committee on Saturday named the India Under-19 squads for the three-match One-Day series against South Africa and the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup, to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15 to February 6, 2026.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named captain of the India Under-19 team for the One-Day series in South Africa. The tour will take place before the World Cup, with India set to play three One-Day matches in Benoni.

Aaron George has been appointed vice-captain for the South Africa series.

Ayush Mhatre and Vihaan Malhotra, who led the side as captain and vice-captain, respectively, during the recently concluded Under-19 Asia Cup, will miss the South Africa tour due to wrist injuries. Both players will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence for further management of their injuries and are expected to join the squad for the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup, the BCCI said in a release.

The three-match One-Day series will begin on January 3, 2026. The second and third matches will be played on January 5 and January 7. All three games will be held at Willowmoore Park in Benoni, South Africa.

The BCCI also announced the squad for the Under-19 World Cup on Saturday. Mhatre and Malhotra will return to their roles as captain and vice-captain for the global event.

India squad for South Africa tour: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (captain), Aaron George (vice-captain), Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wicketkeeper), Harvansh Singh (wicketkeeper), R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A. Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D. Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan, Yuvraj Gohil, Rahul Kumar.India Under-19 squad for ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026: Ayush Mhatre (captain), Vihaan Malhotra (vice-captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Aaron George, Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wicketkeeper), Harvansh Singh (wicketkeeper), R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A. Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D. Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan.



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