NEW DELHI: Tournament heavyweights India will set out to showcase their wealth of young talent as they begin their campaign for a record sixth Under-19 World Cup title against the USA in Bulawayo on Thursday, a contest widely expected to be a comfortable opener for the favourites.

Having lifted the trophy five times in the tournament's 16 editions, India stand unrivalled as the most successful side in Under-19 World Cup history. The competition dates back to 1988, when Australia claimed the title in the inaugural edition.

Over the years, the Under-19 World Cup has served as a launchpad for several future greats of the game. Stars such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Kane Williamson, Joe Root and Steve Smith first announced themselves on the global stage through this tournament, offering the cricketing world an early glimpse of their extraordinary potential.

Shubman Gill, who now leads India in both Tests and ODIs, first announced his arrival on the big stage with a standout performance at the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, where India lifted the trophy under Prithvi Shaw's captaincy. While Gill's career has continued on an upward curve, Shaw's trajectory has dipped in recent years after a promising start at the international level.

Historically, the tournament has been a proven pathway to greatness. Legends such as Brian Lara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Graeme Smith, Michael Clarke, Hashim Amla and Alastair Cook all used the Under-19 World Cup as a springboard to illustrious international careers.

Having missed out on the last edition in 2024, when they lost to Australia in the summit showdown, India, who have won the trophy in 2000, 2008, 2012 and 2022 besides 2018, will be keen to add a sixth title to their tally this time around.

The squad looks balanced and formidable on paper, and 13 wins in their last 16 matches, including series victories in England, Australia and South Africa, clearly show that the team knows how to win, more importantly away from home.

Spearheading the Indian challenge will be wunderkind Vaibhav Suryavanshi, skipper Ayush Mhatre, vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra, and top-order player Aaron George, who was the top-scorer for his side with 228 runs in the last U-19 Asia Cup, where arch-rivals Pakistan stunned them in the summit clash.

Though Mhatre's form has been a bit of a concern in recent times, the side also features Abhigyan Kundu, who has done exceedingly well.

At just 14 years old, Suryavanshi is already one of the most talked-about young cricketers in the world, having first made headlines with an electrifying 35-ball century in the Indian Premier League's 2025 season.

The precocious Suryavanshi seems destined for stardom but there are others too in this Indian setup who are seen as stars of the future and would carry forward the legacy left behind by the likes of Kohli, Rohit and Gill.

Having missed the three-match ODI series against South Africa in the build-up to the tournament with injuries, Mhatre and Malhotra have returned to the squad to bolster the batting and brighten the team's prospects.

As far as pace bowling is concerned, pacer Deepesh Devendran could be the X-factor for the side, his awkward action expected to play a part in his success.

RS Ambrish bowls at a good pace and also has the ability to make useful contributions with the bat. Kishan Singh and Henil Patel are the other two pacers in the team.

As they enter the tournament proper, India would not like to read much into their 20-run defeat to England in a rain-hit warm-up fixture.

Led by the big-hitting Utkarsh Srivastava, USA are not likely to pose any serious threat to the formidable Indian side.

India have been placed in Group B alongside New Zealand, USA, and Bangladesh.

After the game against USA, India will face Bangladesh on January 17 and New Zealand on January 24 at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

Zimbabwe and Namibia are jointly hosting the 16-team tournament, which includes surprise entries such as Tanzania and Japan.

This will be Tanzania's first appearance at a global tournament, while Japan will be playing in their second U-19 World Cup.

Teams (from):

India: Ayush Mhatre (c), R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, D. Deepesh, Mohamed Enaan, Aaron George, Abhigyan Kundu, Kishan Kumar Singh, Vihaan Malhotra, Udhav Mohan, Henil Patel, Khilan A. Patel, Harvansh Singh, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Vedant Trivedi.

USA: Utkarsh Srivastava (c), Adnit Jhamb, Shiv Shani, Nitish Sudini, Advaith Krishna, Sahir Bhatia, Arjun Mahesh, Amrinder Gill, Sabrish Prasad, Adit Kappa, Sahil Garg, Amogh Reddy Arepally, Ritvik Appidi, Rayaan Taj, Rishabh Shimpi.

(With PTI Inputs)