Uday Saharan to lead India at 2024 Under-19 World Cup

Punjab batter Uday Saharan will lead India's title defence at the 2024 ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa in January and February. India are the most successful side in the tournament's history, having won it five times in 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018 and 2022.

Saharan, who is currently captaining India at the Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai, was the highest scorer at the Under-19 Challenger Trophy held in Guwahati last month. He made 297 runs in four innings, with four half-centuries and a best of 93 not out. The tournament had 45 players competing for World Cup slots, picked by India's junior selection panel headed by former Karnataka wicketkeeper Thilak Naidu.

Allrounder Musheer Khan, who bats in the middle order and bowls left-arm spin, is one of only two players - Baroda's Priyanshu Moliya being the other - in the 15-man squad with first-class experience. Musheer is the younger brother of Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan, who had played for India in the 2014 and 2016 Under-19 World Cups.

Musheer had scored 127 off 47 balls and took two wickets in a quadrangular U-19 series match in November, and was the third highest scorer in the Under-19 Challenger Trophy with 268 runs at a strike rate of 108.

Last year, he led Mumbai to the final of the Cooch Behar Trophy, where he was named Player of the Tournament for his 670 runs and 32 wickets. Those performances earned him a Ranji Trophy debut against Saurashtra. He has played three first-class matches so far and has been shortlisted among 333 players at the IPL 2024 auction on December 19.

Another breakout star in the squad is Maharashtra allrounder Arshin Kulkarni, who impressed talent scouts at the Maharashtra Premier League. He bowls medium pace and is a top-order bat. Following his MPL exploits, Kulkarni played for Maharashtra in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and is among the uncapped Indian players at the IPL auction.

Karnataka's Dheeraj Gowda and Baroda's Raj Limbani lead a strong pace attack. Gowda was the top wicket-taker at the Challengers (nine wickets with an economy of 4.42) while Limbani took 7 for 13 against Nepal at the Under-19 Asia Cup on Tuesday. Himachal's Innesh Mahajan and Hyderabad's Avanish Rao are the two wicketkeepers.

Before the World Cup, India will play a U-19 tri-series against the hosts South Africa and England from December 29 to January 10.

India are in Group A along with Bangladesh, Ireland and USA at the World Cup and play their first match against Bangladesh on January 20 in Bloemfontein. They then play Ireland on January 25 and USA on January 28.

India squad for tri-series and Under-19 World Cup: Arshin Kulkarni, Adarsh Singh, Rudra Mayur Patel, Sachin Dhas, Priyanshu Moliya, Musheer Khan, Uday Saharan (capt), Aravelly Avanish Rao (wk), Saumy Kumar Pandey (vc), Murugan Abhishek, Innesh Mahajan (wk), Dhanush Gowda, Aaradhya Shukla, Raj Limbani and Naman Tiwari

Reserve players for tri-series: Prem Devkar Ansh Gosai, Mohammed Aman

Back-up players: Digvijay Patil, Jayanth Goyat, P Vignesh, Kiran Chormale