Ayush Mhatre Named India Captain for Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai

Ayush Mhatre Named India Captain for Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai

Mumbai batter Ayush Mhatre has been appointed captain of the India Under-19 team for the ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup, which will be held in Dubai from December 12. The BCCI on Friday announced a 15-member squad, with opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi included and Vihaan Malhotra named vice-captain.

Mhatre’s Recent Form Under Scrutiny

Despite his leadership elevation, Mhatre’s recent performances have been mixed. The youngster made a strong impression in IPL 2025 with 240 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of nearly 189 for Chennai Super Kings after coming in as a replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad.

However, his returns since then have fluctuated:

  • England tour: 27 runs in four one-day games, before bouncing back with 340 runs in two Youth Tests, finishing as top scorer.

  • Australia tour: Just 10 runs in three one-dayers and 38 runs across the Youth Tests.

  • Domestic season: 156 runs at 26 in four first-class matches, including an outing for India A against South Africa A.

  • Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: 18 runs in a fixture against Railways.

His selection as captain reflects the management’s belief in his long-term potential despite inconsistency.

Tournament Format and Groupings

The Under-19 Asia Cup will be played in the one-day format. India are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan and two qualifying teams.
Group B features Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and a qualifier.

India will kick off their campaign on December 12, facing one of the qualifying sides.

India Under-19 Squad for the Asia Cup

Ayush Mhatre (capt), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Vihaan Malhotra (vice-capt), 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*
*Subject to fitness clearance

Standby players: Rahul Kumar, Hemchudeshan J, B.K. Kishore, Aditya Rawat

India, the most successful side in the competition’s history, will look to begin their 2026 World Cup cycle strongly under new leadership.