U19 World Cup 2026: USA U19 squad entirely of Indian origin players, Utkarsh Srivastava to lead

Published - 14 Jan 2026, 20:56 IST | Updated - 14 Jan 2026, 21:13 IST

The United States of America (USA) is set to feature in the ICC Men’s U-19 World Cup, with their first match scheduled for January 15 against India U19. Interestingly, the USA squad has more players of Indian origin than players based in the USA.

Utkarsh Srivastava will lead the team, and the remaining 14 players are also of Indian origin. This is surprising, as usually one or two players from other backgrounds represent a different nation. However, in the USA U19 squad, the entire team is of Indian origin.

USA U19 have been placed in Group B alongside Bangladesh U19, India U19, and New Zealand U19. India U19 are the most successful team in the tournament’s history, having lifted the trophy five times and finished runners-up on four occasions.

U19 World Cup 2026: Match 01, USA U19 vs IND U19 Prediction

The previous edition of the U19 World Cup was won by Australia, who defeated India in the final. The marquee event will be held in Namibia and Zimbabwe from January 15 to February 6, with the final scheduled to take place in Harare.

The USA were the final team to qualify for the World Cup. They defeated Canada, Bermuda, and Argentina in a double round-robin qualifier played in Rydal, Georgia. They set the tone with a 65-run win over Canada, followed by convincing victories against Bermuda and Argentina. By the halfway stage of the competition, USA were firmly in the driver’s seat.

In the second leg, they earned 10 points by defeating Bermuda and Argentina again, which was enough to seal their World Cup berth. Top-order batter Amrinder Singh Gill scored 199 runs in three innings, while the spin-bowling duo of Ansh Rai and Sahir Bhatia picked up seven wickets each.

The top 10 teams from the 2024 U19 World Cup in South Africa have secured automatic qualification for the 2026 edition, along with Full Member hosts Zimbabwe.

Utkarsh Srivastava (Captain), Advaith Krishna, Amrinder Gill, Ritvik Appidi, Amogh Arepally, Admit Jhamb, Adit Kappa, Arjun Mahesh, Rayaan Taj, Sabrish Prasad, Sahil Garg, Sahir Bhatia, Rishabh Shimpi, Shiv Shani, Nitish Sudini