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India walk into the 2026 U19 World Cup with a squad that is built like a proper tournament machine: one ultra high-ceiling aggressor, one captain who can set the tempo at the top, a keeper who can swing games, and a couple of bowlers who can seize momentums.
At this level, the difference between a silverware and an early elimination is usually two things: how you handle the pressure, and whether the best skills travel with you throughout the tournament. Here are five Indian names who look primed to tilt those margins.
1. Ayush Mhatre – the architect
Every U19 tournament throws up a batter who bats with control, not fear. Ayush Mhatre is India’s captain, and his value is in his ability to set the tempo: choosing when to take risks, keeping partners calm, and converting starts into game-changing scores. If India hit early trouble, it will be interesting to see how he manages strike rotation and how quickly he switches gears once the field spreads.
2. Vaibhav Suryavanshi – the chaos button
Left-handed, fearless, and still 14, Vaibhav Suryavanshi is the kind of talent that forces opponents to rip up plans mid-spell. When he gets going, the contest turns damage control. The key watch is not just the highlights, it’s his shot selection. If he amalgamates singles between boundary bursts, he becomes India’s most brutal X-factor.
3. Abhigyan Kundu – the two-phase game winner
In youth cricket, wicketkeepers who bat with authority are worth their own category because they influence two innings. Abhigyan Kundu gives India flexibility: he can stabilise if the top wobbles, or he can attack in the middle-phase where totals go past 300 instead of 280. Behind the stumps, keep an eye on his glove work and his energy.
4. Kanishk Chouhan – the middle-overs lever
Most One-day matches are won in overs 11-40, when batters want low risk and bowlers want dots. Kanishk Chouhan’s off-spin all-round profile makes him a tactical lever: he can slow a chase, break rhythm, and force false shots into big pockets. If surfaces are a touch dry or slow, he becomes even more valuable, not necessarily through big turn, but through pace changes and accuracy. With the bat, his job is simple and priceless: turn a 210/6 into 250, and 250 into 290.
5. D. Deepesh – the spell that flips the match
The most bankable attacks usually have one seamer who makes early overs feel like a trap. Deepesh is in that mould: hit a length, threaten both edges, and keep the scoring ceiling low. What to watch is his adaptability: can he move from new-ball aggression to death-overs clarity when batters start lining him up? If he answers that, he is the kind of bowler who wins you a game almost single-handedly.
If these five hit their roles together, India will look less like a talented group and more like the inevitable champions.
