SynopsisYouth cricket's next chapter unfolds this week with the ICC Men's Under-19 World Cup 2026 in southern Africa. Zimbabwe and Namibia host 16 teams battling for the junior world title. India begins its campaign on January 15 against USA. The tournament features a familiar format with group stages, Super Six, semi-finals, and a grand final.Listen to this article in summarized formatLoading...×After highly-contested U19 Asia Cup, where Pakistan beat India in the final, a new under 19 tournament is starting this week. The ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026 will start in Southern Africa. Zimbabwe and Namibia are jointly hosting the tournament, welcoming 16 teams who will battle it out over three weeks for the coveted junior world title.The competition follows a familiar format. Teams are split into four groups. The top three sides from each group move into the Super Six stage. From there, the best two teams qualify for the semi-finals, leading to the final showdown.Also Read- JKBOSE 10th Result DecaredU19 ICC Cricket World Cup 2026: Match venuesThe tournament will be staged across five venues in three cities.Harare will host matches at Harare Sports Club and Takashinga Sports Club. Bulawayo will see action at Queens Sports Club. Windhoek in Namibia will feature the Namibia Cricket Ground and HP Oval.Live EventsQueens Sports Club in Bulawayo will host the first semi-final. The second semi-final and the final will be played at Harare Sports Club, making it the centrepiece of the knockout stage.U19 Cricket World Cup 2026 GroupsThe 16 teams have been divided into four groups:Group A: Australia, Ireland, Japan, Sri LankaGroup B: Bangladesh, India, New Zealand, USAGroup C: England, Pakistan, Scotland, ZimbabweGroup D: Afghanistan, South Africa, Tanzania, West IndiesU19 ICC Cricket World Cup 2026 schedule:The group stage begins on January 15 with India taking on USA in Bulawayo, while hosts Zimbabwe face Scotland in Harare. The same day also sees Tanzania clash with West Indies in Windhoek.High-profile group games include England vs Pakistan on January 16, Bangladesh vs India on January 17, and India vs New Zealand on January 24, which wraps up Group B action.U19 Cricket World Cup 2026 Group Matches ScheduleDateMatchGroupVenueCityJan 15India vs USAGroup BQueens Sports ClubBulawayoJan 15Zimbabwe vs ScotlandGroup CTakashinga Sports ClubHarareJan 15Tanzania vs West IndiesGroup DHP OvalWindhoekJan 16England vs PakistanGroup CTakashinga Sports ClubHarareJan 16Australia vs IrelandGroup ANamibia Cricket GroundWindhoekJan 16Afghanistan vs South AfricaGroup DHP OvalWindhoekJan 17Bangladesh vs IndiaGroup BQueens Sports ClubBulawayoJan 17Japan vs Sri LankaGroup ANamibia Cricket GroundWindhoekJan 18New Zealand vs USAGroup BQueens Sports ClubBulawayoJan 18Zimbabwe vs EnglandGroup CTakashinga Sports ClubHarareJan 18Afghanistan vs West IndiesGroup DHP OvalWindhoekJan 19Pakistan vs ScotlandGroup CTakashinga Sports ClubHarareJan 19Ireland vs Sri LankaGroup ANamibia Cricket GroundWindhoekJan 19South Africa vs TanzaniaGroup DHP OvalWindhoekJan 20Bangladesh vs New ZealandGroup BQueens Sports ClubBulawayoJan 20Australia vs JapanGroup ANamibia Cricket GroundWindhoekJan 21England vs ScotlandGroup CTakashinga Sports ClubHarareJan 21Afghanistan vs TanzaniaGroup DHP OvalWindhoekJan 22Zimbabwe vs PakistanGroup CTakashinga Sports ClubHarareJan 22Ireland vs JapanGroup ANamibia Cricket GroundWindhoekJan 22South Africa vs West IndiesGroup DHP OvalWindhoekJan 23Bangladesh vs USAGroup BTakashinga Sports ClubHarareJan 23Australia vs Sri LankaGroup ANamibia Cricket GroundWindhoekJan 24India vs New ZealandGroup BQueens Sports ClubBulawayoJan 2413–16th playoff: A4 vs D4—HP OvalWindhoekU19 Cricket World Cup 2026 Super 6 ScheduleDateMatchVenueCityJan 25A1 vs D3Namibia Cricket GroundWindhoekJan 25D2 vs A3HP OvalWindhoekJan 26C1 vs B2Queens Sports ClubBulawayoJan 26D1 vs A2Namibia Cricket GroundWindhoekJan 2613–16th playoff: B4 vs C4Harare Sports ClubHarareJan 27C2 vs B3Harare Sports ClubHarareJan 27C3 vs B1Queens Sports ClubBulawayoJan 28A1 vs D2Harare Sports ClubHarareJan 29D3 vs A2Queens Sports ClubBulawayoJan 30D1 vs A3Harare Sports ClubHarareJan 30B3 vs C1Queens Sports ClubBulawayoJan 31B2 vs C3Harare Sports ClubHarareFeb 1B1 vs C2Queens Sports ClubBulawayoICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026 Semi Finals and Final dateDateMatchVenueCityFeb 3First semi-finalQueens Sports ClubBulawayoFeb 4Second semi-finalHarare Sports ClubHarareFeb 6FinalHarare Sports ClubHarareU19 Cricket World Cup 2026 Match timingsAll matches in the tournament will start at 9.30 am local time. For Indian viewers, that means a 1 pm IST start, while matches begin at 7.30 am GMT.With future stars on display and three weeks of non-stop cricket, the Under-19 World Cup once again promises early mornings, big dreams, and plenty of surprises.ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026 India Matches ScheduleIndia are placed in Group B along with Bangladesh, New Zealand, and USA. The top three teams from the group will qualify for the Super Six stage.January 15India vs USAVenue: Queens Sports Club, BulawayoJanuary 17Bangladesh vs IndiaVenue: Queens Sports Club, BulawayoJanuary 24India vs New ZealandVenue: Queens Sports Club, BulawayoU19 Cricket World Cup 2026 Live StreamingEvery match involving India and all other games of the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 will be televised live on the Star Sports Network.For online streaming, fans can watch matches live on the Jio Hotstar app and website. This includes live coverage, replays, and highlights.India Under-19 Cricket World Cup squadTeam India has announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026. Here’s the full list:India U19 Cricket World Cup SquadAyush Mhatre (Captain)RS AmbrishKanishk ChouhanD DeepeshMohamed EnaanAaron GeorgeAbhigyan Kundu (WK)Kishan Kumar SinghVihaan MalhotraUdhav MohanHenil PatelKhilan A PatelHarvansh SinghVaibhav SooryavanshiVedant TrivediU19 Cricket World Cup 2026 India squad key playersAyush Mhatre (Captain)All eyes will be on Ayush Mhatre, the leader of this young Indian side. Calm at the crease and sharp in decision-making, the captain sets the tone both with the bat and in the field. India’s campaign will largely depend on how he handles pressure in big matches.Vaibhav SooryavanshiOne of the most talked-about names in the squad, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is known for his fearless batting. He has the ability to change games quickly and could be India’s X-factor in tight contests.Abhigyan Kundu (Wicketkeeper)Reliable behind the stumps and handy with the bat, Abhigyan Kundu adds balance to the playing XI. His role becomes crucial in low-scoring games and during tense run chases.Vihaan MalhotraVihaan Malhotra brings solidity to India’s batting line-up. He is expected to play the anchor’s role and allow stroke-makers around him to attack freely.Harvansh SinghHarvansh Singh is one of the bowlers to watch. He has shown the ability to pick wickets at key moments and keep things tight in the middle overs.Vedant TrivediA useful all-round option, Vedant Trivedi adds depth to the squad. His contributions with both bat and ball could prove vital during the Super Six stage.India’s performance at the Under-19 World CupIndia holds the record for the most Under-19 World Cup titles among all countries. They have won the trophy five times so far — more than any other nation.Years India won the title20002008201220182022Despite their strong history, India lost the 2024 final to Australia, missing out on a sixth title.Not just winners — frequent finalists in U19 Cricket World CupsIndia has also reached the final several times even when they didn’t win the trophy. They finished as runners-up in:2006201620202024ICC U19 Cricket World Cup Full Winners ListYearHost(s)WinnerRunner-up1988AustraliaAustraliaPakistan1998South AfricaEnglandNew Zealand2000Sri LankaIndiaAustralia2002New ZealandAustraliaSouth Africa2004BangladeshPakistanWest Indies2006Sri LankaPakistanIndia2008MalaysiaIndiaSouth Africa2010New ZealandAustraliaPakistan2012AustraliaIndiaAustralia2014UAESouth AfricaPakistan2016BangladeshWest IndiesIndia2018New ZealandIndiaAustralia2020South AfricaBangladeshIndia2022West IndiesIndiaEngland2024South AfricaAustraliaIndia(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Why Dec chaos will weigh on IndiGo’s Q3 results; SpiceJet to remain shakyGenerous payouts come back to bite IT firms in the era of AITax shock looms, but ITC’s bigger worry is losing market share to Godfrey PhillipsMarket is gung-ho about digital, but why are MF schemes failingStock Radar: Chennai Petroleum Corporation stock showing signs of bottoming out after falling over 30% from highs; time to buy?F&O Radar | Deploy Bull Call Ratio Spread in Nifty to trade index on expiry day123
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