The ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup, set to begin on December 12, will return in the 50-over format, and India have officially named a strong squad for the tournament. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday announced a highly talented 15-member team led by Ayush Mhatre, the rising opener associated with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Vihaan Malhotra has been appointed vice-captain, while the in-form Vaibhav Suryavanshi headlines the batting unit.
The tournament’s most anticipated fixture — India vs Pakistan — will take place on December 14 at the ICC Academy in Dubai.
Rising stars headline India’s squad
India’s squad blends power hitters, reliable all-rounders, and strong wicketkeeping depth. The spotlight will be on crowd-favourite Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who has already smashed 43 sixes in Youth ODIs, the most ever by an Indian at this level. His strike rate of 151.91 and tally of 556 runs in 11 Youth ODIs underline his ability to dominate attacks.
Mhatre, meanwhile, leads the side after consistent performances in the junior circuit, while wicketkeepers Abhigyan Kundu and Harvansh Singh add stability in the middle order.
India Under-19 squad for the Asia Cup
Ayush Mhatre (C), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Vihaan Malhotra (vc), Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), Yuvraj Gohil, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A. Patel, Naman Pushpak, D. Deepesh, Henil Patel, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan, Aaron George.*
Stand-by players: Rahul Kumar, Hemchudeshan J, B.K. Kishore, Aditya Rawat
Defending champions vs tournament giants
Bangladesh have won the last two editions of the Under-19 Asia Cup, but India remain the most successful team, lifting the trophy 8 out of 12 times. This year’s tournament also acts as crucial preparation for the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026, whose schedule was recently announced.
India’s full match schedule – ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2025
| No. | Day | Date | Match | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friday | 12 December | 1st One-Day | Qualifier 1 | ICC Academy |
| 2 | Sunday | 14 December | 2nd One-Day | Pakistan | ICC Academy |
| 3 | Tuesday | 16 December | 3rd One-Day | Qualifier 3 | The Seven’s |
| 4 | Friday | 19 December | 1st Semi-final | A1 vs B2 | ICC Academy |
| 5 | Friday | 19 December | 2nd Semi-final | B1 vs A2 | The Seven’s |
| 6 | Sunday | 21 December | Final | TBC | TBC |
Asia Cup 2025 Group breakdown
Group A: India, Pakistan, Qualifier 1, Qualifier 3
Group B: Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Qualifier 2
If you want, I can now prepare:
– A headline-only list for Google Discover
– A match-by-match preview
– A team-wise strengths & weaknesses analysis
