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ICC U19 World Cup 2026 Teams: Qualified Nations & Squads

January 14, 2026

ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026 will start from January 15 to February 6, 2026, and will be hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia. 

Below, you’ll find all 16 participating teams, their groups, and qualification details. We’ll update this page with squad announcements as they become available.

ICC U19 World Cup 2026 – Full Team List

The 2026 tournament features 16 teams competing for the title. 

No.TeamQualification PathRegion
1India U19Full MemberAsia
2Australia U19Full MemberEast Asia-Pacific
3England U19Full MemberEurope
4South Africa U19Full MemberAfrica
5West Indies U19Full MemberAmericas
6Pakistan U19Full MemberAsia
7Sri Lanka U19Full MemberAsia
8Bangladesh U19Full MemberAsia
9New Zealand U19Full MemberEast Asia-Pacific
10Afghanistan U19Asia QualifierAsia
11Zimbabwe U19Host NationAfrica
12Ireland U19Europe QualifierEurope
13Scotland U19Europe QualifierEurope
14USA U19Americas QualifierAmericas
15Japan U19EAP QualifierEast Asia-Pacific
16Tanzania U19Africa QualifierAfrica

Note: Full squad lists with player names will be updated once teams make their official announcements closer to the tournament.

Teams qualify through two main routes: Full Member nations get automatic entry, while Associate nations earn their spots through regional qualifier tournaments across Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and East Asia-Pacific regions.

India U19

India has won the U19 World Cup five times, more than any other nation. They are the defending champions after winning in 2024. India’s strength lies in their strong domestic cricket system that produces talented young players.

India U19
Source: Firstpost

They qualified as a Full Member nation. The team has produced stars like Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, and, most recently, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who have all gone on to represent the senior team successfully.

Australia U19

Australia has won the U19 World Cup three times and always fields competitive teams. Their players typically show strong basic skills and fighting spirit. Australia qualified automatically as a Full Member nation.

Australia U19
Source: Cricket Australia

The Australian team focuses on fast bowling and aggressive batting. Many Australian U19 players move up to state cricket quickly, showing the quality of their youth system.

Oliver Peake (c), Kasey Barton, Naden Cooray, Jayden Draper, Ben Gordon, Steven Hogan, Thomas Hogan, John James, Charles Lachmund, Will Malajczuk, Nitesh Samuel, Hayden Schiller, Aryan Sharma, William Taylor, Alex Lee Young

England U19

England won their first U19 World Cup in 1998 and have been regular semi-finalists. They qualified as a Full Member nation and are known for developing all-round cricketers.

England U19
Source: Yahoo Sports

England’s cricket academies focus on technique and mental strength. Players like Joe Root and Jos Buttler started their journey through the U19 system, proving England’s talent development success.

South Africa U19

South Africa claimed their first U19 World Cup title in 2014. They qualified as a Full Member and are known for producing fast bowlers and powerful batters. The team plays an aggressive style of cricket.

South Africa U19
Source: SuperSport

South Africa’s youth system has given the senior team players like Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, both of whom made their mark at the U19 level first.

Muhammad Bulbulia (c), JJ Basson, Daniel Bosman, Corne Botha, Paul James, Enathi Khitshini Tembalethu, Michael Kruiskamp, Adnaan Lagadien, Bayanda Majola, Armaan Manack, Bandile Mbatha, Lethabo Phahlamohlaka, Jason Rowles, Ntandoyenkosi Soni, Jorich van Schalkwyk

West Indies U19

West Indies has won the U19 World Cup once in 2016. They qualified as a Full Member and are famous for their exciting stroke play and fast bowling. The team represents multiple Caribbean nations playing together.

West Indies U19
Source: ESPNcricinfo

Young West Indian players often show natural talent and fearless cricket. The U19 platform has helped discover players who later shine in T20 leagues worldwide.

Joshua Dorne (c), Jewel Andrew, Shamar Apple, Shaquan Belle, Zachary Carter, Tanez Francis, R’jai Gittens, Vitel Lawes, Micah McKenzie, Matthew Miller, Isra-el Morton, Jakeem Pollard, Aadian Racha, Kunal Tilokani, Jonathan Van Lange Reserves: Brendan Boodoo, Tyriek Bryan, Earsinho Fontaine, Deshawn James

Pakistan U19

Pakistan has won the U19 World Cup twice and consistently produces talented cricketers. They qualified as a Full Member nation. Pakistan is known for finding skilled fast bowlers and naturally gifted batters.

Pakistan U19
Source: Hindustan Times

The team plays with passion and unpredictability. Many Pakistan cricket stars, including Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam, first gained attention through the U19 World Cup.

Farhan Yousaf (c), Usman Khan (vc), Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Hasan Baloch, Ali Raza, Daniyal Ali Khan, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Huzaifa Ahsan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Sayyam, Mohammad Shayan (wk), Niqab Shafiq, Sameer Minhas, Umar Zaib

Non-traveling reserves: Abdul Qadir, Farhanullah, Hassan Khan, Ibtisam Azhar, Mohammad Huzaifa

Sri Lanka U19

Sri Lanka has never won the U19 World Cup but reached the final in 2000. They qualified as a Full Member nation. Sri Lanka focuses on spin bowling and technically sound batting.

Sri Lanka U19
Source: ESPNcricinfo

The island nation’s cricket development programs work hard to find young talent. Players like Kusal Mendis started their international journey through the U19 system.

Bangladesh U19

Bangladesh won their first U19 World Cup in 2020, a historic moment for the nation. They qualified as a Full Member and are known for their fighting spirit.

Bangladesh U19
Source: Bangladesh Cricket Board

Bangladesh cricket has grown rapidly, and its youth system now produces quality players. The team plays smart cricket and handles pressure well. Their 2020 win showed the strength of Bangladesh’s cricket development.

New Zealand U19

New Zealand has never won the U19 World Cup but regularly competes well. They qualified as a Full Member nation. New Zealand focuses on developing well-rounded cricketers with good basics.

New Zealand U19
Source: India Today

The team is known for team spirit and disciplined cricket. Many Kiwi internationals, including Kane Williamson, began their careers representing New Zealand at the U19 level.

Tom Jones (c), Marco Alpe, Hugo Bogue, Harry Burns, Mason Clarke, Jacob Cotter, Aryan Mann, Brandon Matzopoulos, Flynn Morey, Snehith Reddy, Callum Samson, Jaskaran Sandhu, Selwin Sanjay, Hunter Shore, Harry Waite

Afghanistan U19

Afghanistan has risen quickly in world cricket, reaching the U19 World Cup semi-finals in 2018. They qualified through the Asian Qualifiers. Afghanistan is famous for producing quality spin bowlers and hard-hitting batters.

Afghanistan U19
Source: Instagram @afganistancricketboard

Despite cricket infrastructure challenges, they continue to develop talented young players. The U19 team shows the same fighting spirit as Afghanistan’s senior team.

Zimbabwe U19

Zimbabwe is hosting the tournament and qualified automatically as the host nation. They last hosted an ICC event successfully and will look to use home advantage.

Zimbabwe U19
Source: Instagram @zimbambweschoolcricket

Zimbabwe has produced good cricketers over the years despite facing cricket administration challenges. Playing at home venues in Harare and Bulawayo, the team will hope to make their supporters proud with strong performances.

Simbarashe Mudzengerere (c), Kian Blignaut, Michael Blignaut, Leeroy Chiwaula, Tatenda Chimugoro, Brendon Senzere, Nathaniel Hlabangana, Takudzwa Makoni, Panashe Mazai, Webster Madhidhi, Shelton Mazvitorera, Kupakwashe Muradzi, Brandon Ndiweni, Dhruv Patel, Benny Zuze

Ireland U19

Ireland qualified through the European Qualifier tournament. They are an improving cricket nation that recently became a Full Member. Ireland’s youth cricket has developed well, producing players who compete against established nations. 

Ireland U19
Source: ESPNcricinfo

The team typically shows discipline and determination. Irish cricket’s growth means their U19 team now has better training facilities and coaching than ever before.

Olly Riley (c), Reuben Wilson, Alex Armstrong, Callum Armstrong, Marko Bates, Sebastian Dijkstra, Thomas Ford, Samuel Haslett, Adam Leckey, Febin Manoj, Luke Murray, Robert O’Brien, Freddie Ogilby, James West, Bruce Whaley

Non-Travelling Reserves: Peter le Roux, William Shields

Scotland U19

Scotland earned their place through the European Qualifier tournament. Scottish cricket has grown steadily, and their youth development programs are improving. 

Scotland U19
Source: ICC

The team faces tough competition but always plays with pride. Scotland’s cricket infrastructure has expanded, giving young players better opportunities. Qualifying for the World Cup is a significant achievement for Scottish cricket development.

Thomas Knight (c), Finlay Carter, Max Chaplin, George Cutler, Rory Grant, Finlay Jones, Ollie Jones, Ali Khan, Olly Pillinger, Ethan Ramsay, Theo Robinson, Manu Saraswat, Shreyas Tekale, Shlok Thaker, Jake Woodhouse

USA U19

USA qualified through the Americas Qualifier tournament. American cricket is growing fast with more young players taking up the sport. The U19 team represents the future of cricket in America.

USA U19
Source: USA Cricket

USA Cricket has invested in youth development programs and coaching. The team will gain valuable experience playing against established cricket nations in this tournament.

Japan U19

Japan qualified through the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier, showing the spread of cricket in the region. Japanese cricket is developing, and youth programs are attracting more young players.

Japan U19
Source: ESPNcricinfo

The team faces a tough challenge but represents growing cricket interest in Asia beyond traditional nations. Participating in the World Cup is a major step for Japanese cricket development.

Kazuma Kato-Stafford (c), Charles Hara-Hinze, Gabriel Hara-Hinze, Montgomery Hara-Hinze, Kaisei Kobayashi-Doggett, Timothy Moore, Skyler Nakayama-Cook, Ryuki Ozeki, Nihar Parmar, Nikhil Pol, Chihaya Sekine, Hugo Tani-Kelly, Sandev Aaryan Waduge, Kai Wall, Taylor Waugh

Tanzania U19

Tanzania qualified through the Africa Qualifier tournament, earning their place among the world’s best U19 teams. This is a proud moment for Tanzanian cricket.

Tanzania U19
Source: ICC

The team has worked hard to reach this stage and will compete with determination. Tanzania’s qualification shows that African cricket is growing beyond traditional nations. They will gain valuable experience facing top cricket nations.

ICC U19 World Cup 2026: Group-Wise Teams

Each group has one strong traditional cricket nation along with developing teams. The group stage will see all teams play each other once. 

GroupTeams
Group AAustralia, Ireland, Japan, Sri Lanka
Group BIndia, Bangladesh, USA, New Zealand
Group CZimbabwe, Pakistan, England, Scotland
Group DTanzania, West Indies, Afghanistan, South Africa

The top three teams from each group will move to the Super Six stage. The format ensures every match matters and gives smaller nations chances to test themselves against cricket powerhouses.

Qualification Path for ICC U19 World Cup 2026

The 16 teams qualified through different routes. 

RegionQualifier TypeTeams Qualified
Full Members and HostAutomatic Entry11 teams
AsiaRegional Qualifier1 team
AfricaRegional Qualifier1 team
AmericasRegional Qualifier1 team
East Asia-PacificRegional Qualifier1 team
EuropeRegional Qualifier1 team

Full Member nations (countries that are permanent ICC members) get automatic entry into the tournament. Associate nations compete in regional qualifier tournaments to earn their spots. 

Five regions hold qualifiers: Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and East Asia-Pacific. 

Each region gets a specific number of places based on cricket development in that area. 

Zimbabwe qualified automatically as the full-member host nation. Namibia, despite hosting the tournament, played the qualifiers because of them being an associate nation and failed to make it to the final 16.

ICC U19 World Cup 2026 Schedule

Here’s the complete ICC U19 World Cup 2026 schedule with dates, groups, venues, and match timings for every league, playoff, Super Six, semifinal, and final fixture.

DateMatch No.GroupTeamsVenueLocal TimeGMTIST
Thu, Jan 151Group BIndia U19 vs USA U19Bulawayo9:30 AM7:30 AM1:00 PM
Thu, Jan 152Group CZimbabwe U19 vs Scotland U19Harare10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Thu, Jan 153Group DTanzania U19 vs West Indies U19Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Fri, Jan 164Group CEngland U19 vs Pakistan U19Harare10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Fri, Jan 165Group AAustralia U19 vs Ireland U19Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Fri, Jan 166Group DAfghanistan U19 vs South Africa U19Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Sat, Jan 177Group BBangladesh U19 vs India U19Bulawayo9:30 AM7:30 AM1:00 PM
Sat, Jan 178Group AJapan U19 vs Sri Lanka U19Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Sun, Jan 189Group BNew Zealand U19 vs USA U19Bulawayo9:30 AM7:30 AM1:00 PM
Sun, Jan 1810Group CZimbabwe U19 vs England U19Harare10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Sun, Jan 1811Group DAfghanistan U19 vs West Indies U19Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Mon, Jan 1912Group CPakistan U19 vs Scotland U19Harare10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Mon, Jan 1913Group AIreland U19 vs Sri Lanka U19Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Mon, Jan 1914Group DSouth Africa U19 vs Tanzania U19Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Tue, Jan 2015Group BBangladesh U19 vs New Zealand U19Bulawayo9:30 AM7:30 AM1:00 PM
Tue, Jan 2016Group AAustralia U19 vs Japan U19Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Wed, Jan 2117Group CEngland U19 vs Scotland U19Harare10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Wed, Jan 2118Group DAfghanistan U19 vs Tanzania U19Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Thu, Jan 2219Group CZimbabwe U19 vs Pakistan U19Harare10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Thu, Jan 2220Group AIreland U19 vs Japan U19Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Thu, Jan 2221Group DSouth Africa U19 vs West Indies U19Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Fri, Jan 2322Group BBangladesh U19 vs USA U19Harare10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Fri, Jan 2323Group AAustralia U19 vs Sri Lanka U19Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Sat, Jan 2424Group BIndia U19 vs New Zealand U19Bulawayo9:30 AM7:30 AM1:00 PM
Sat, Jan 2416th Place Play-OffA4 vs D4Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Sun, Jan 25SS Match 1Super Six (Group 1)A1 vs D3Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Sun, Jan 25SS Match 2Super Six (Group 1)A3 vs D2Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Mon, Jan 26SS Match 3Super Six (Group 2)B2 vs C1Bulawayo9:30 AM7:30 AM1:00 PM
Mon, Jan 2616th Place Play-OffB4 vs C4Harare10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Mon, Jan 26SS Match 4Super Six (Group 1)A2 vs D1Windhoek10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Tue, Jan 27SS Match 5Super Six (Group 2)B1 vs C3Bulawayo9:30 AM7:30 AM1:00 PM
Tue, Jan 27SS Match 6Super Six (Group 2)B3 vs C2Harare10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Wed, Jan 28SS Match 7Super Six (Group 1)A1 vs D2Harare10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Thu, Jan 29SS Match 8Super Six (Group 1)A2 vs D3Bulawayo9:30 AM7:30 AM1:00 PM
Fri, Jan 30SS Match 9Super Six (Group 1)A3 vs D1Harare10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Fri, Jan 30SS Match 10Super Six (Group 2)B3 vs C1Bulawayo9:30 AM7:30 AM1:00 PM
Sat, Jan 31SS Match 11Super Six (Group 2)B2 vs C3Harare10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Sun, Feb 1SS Match 12Super Six (Group 2)B1 vs C2Bulawayo9:30 AM7:30 AM1:00 PM
Tue, Feb 3Semi-Final 1KnockoutP1 (Group 1) vs P2 (Group 2)Bulawayo9:30 AM7:30 AM1:00 PM
Wed, Feb 4Semi-Final 2KnockoutP2 (Group 1) vs P1 (Group 2)Harare10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM
Fri, Feb 6FinalKnockoutWinner SF1 vs Winner SF2Harare Sports Club10:00 AM8:00 AM1:30 PM

The tournament will feature 38 matches played over 23 days across venues in Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Host Nations & Match Venues (Quick Note)

Zimbabwe and Namibia will jointly host the tournament from January 17 to February 9, 2026. Matches will take place across five to six main venues. 

The primary grounds include Harare Sports Club, Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, and venues in Windhoek, Namibia. This marks another important ICC tournament for both nations.

Conclusion: 16 Teams Participated in the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026!

The ICC U19 World Cup 2026 brings together the world’s best young cricketers competing for glory. These 16 teams represent cricket’s present and future across all continents. 

The tournament will showcase emerging talent that could become tomorrow’s international stars. 

Stay tuned to this page for squad updates, match results, and live coverage as the tournament unfolds in Zimbabwe and Namibia.

FAQs

When does the ICC U19 World Cup 2026 start?

The tournament begins on January 15, 2026, and the final will be played on February 6, 2026.

Which team has won the most U19 World Cups?

India has won the tournament five times (2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, 2022), more than any other nation.

How many teams play in the U19 World Cup?

A total of 16 teams compete in the tournament, divided into four groups of four teams each.

Can I watch the U19 World Cup matches live on TV?

Major sports channels and streaming platforms will broadcast the matches. ICC typically announces broadcast partners closer to the tournament date.

Which famous cricketers played in the U19 World Cup before?

Many current stars played in the U19 World Cup, including Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, Babar Azam, Kagiso Rabada, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Siddharth Joshi is the voice behind GenZcricket, a cricket lover turned storyteller. Born in 2001, his dream of becoming a cricketer was cut short by an early injury—but his love for the game never faded. Instead, he found a new way to stay connected by analyzing matches, players, and stadiums through his platform. With GenZcricket, Siddharth aims to help the younger generation dive deeper into the game with insights, stats, and stories. His goal is to make cricket exciting, relatable, and accessible for fans of all ages—especially Gen Z.

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