Five-time champions India started their campaign on expected lines, cruising to a six-wicket win over the USA after bowling them out for a modest 107 in a rain-hit encounter. Right-arm spinner Henil Patel shone with excellent figures of 5/16 from seven overs while the rest of the bowling unit got going effectively.
India’s star-studded batting line-up will be keen on a longer stint in the middle against Bangladesh, who are expected to offer a sterner test than the USA. The Ayush Mhatre-led side will once again rely on the opening pair of Mhatre and 14-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi, along with vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra, all-rounders Aaron George and Vedant Trivedi and wicketkeeper Abhigyan Kundu to provide stability in the order.
D Deepesh, RS Ambrish, Henil Patel, Kishan Kumar Singh and Udhav Mohan are involved in the pace attack while Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan Patel and Mohamed Enaan will handle the spin duties.
Champions in five of the 16 editions of the tournament, India remain the most successful side in the competition’s history, which began in 1988 when Australia won the inaugural title. Their confidence has been further boosted by an impressive run over the past year, including series wins in England, Australia and South Africa. The win over USA was India’s 14th in their last 17 matches.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, are led by veteran captain Azizul Hakim, whose leadership will be crucial as the team moves through the tournament across Zimbabwe and Namibia. Hakim and his deputy Zawad Abrar will anchor the batting, with the pair having scored over 1000 ODI runs for the youth since 2024. Kalam Siddiki, who has amassed 857 runs in the same period, adds more firepower.
Bangladesh also boast a formidable bowling attack, with pacers Iqbal Hossain and Al Fahad likely to enjoy the pace-friendly conditions in Zimbabwe. The duo are the most prolific wicket takers since the last U19 World Cup, with 45 and 43 wickets respectively, while left-arm shot Samiun Basir has also impressed with 29 wickets at an economy rate of under four.
Teams (from):
India: Ayush Mhatre (c), RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, D. Deepesh, Mohamed Enaan, Aaron George, Abhigyan Kundu, Kishan Kumar Singh, Vihaan Malhotra, Udhav Mohan, Henil Patel, Khilan A. Patel, Harvansh Sohavory, Vavanib.
Bangladesh: Azizul Hakim Tamim (c), Zawad Abrar, Samiun Basir Ratul, Sheikh Parvez Jibon, Rizan Hossan, Shaharia Al Amin, Shadin Islam, Md Abdullah, Farid Hasan Faysal, Kalam Siddiki Aleen, Rifat Beg, Saad Islam Razin. Subs: Abdur Rahim, Debashis Sarkar Deba, Rafi Uzzaman Rafi, Farhan Shahriar, Farzan Ahmed Alif, Sanjid Majumder, Md Sobuj.