 "India have been asked to bat first by Bangladesh. Image: ICC")
India Under-19 began their ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026 campaign on a positive note with a comfortable win over the USA two days ago. The Boys in Blue will now look to continue that momentum when they face Bangladesh Under-19 in their Group B match on Saturday in Bulawayo.
Ahead of the match, Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bowl first. With conditions expected to assist the bowlers early on, Bangladesh will hope to restrict India to a manageable total. India, on the other hand, will be keen to put up a strong batting performance after being asked to bat first.
“We will field first. The wicket looks damp and we would like to take advantage for the first 10-15 overs. We’ve prepared well, we did well in the Asia Cup as well. We’ve got two all-rounders playing today,” Bangladesh stand-in captain Azizul Hakim said.
Bangladesh’s captain Zawad Abrar is playing today, but he did not come out for the toss due to an unknown reason.
“We also would have bowled first, the wicket looks damp, but it’s OK. The batting was a small concern, it was a small target and we should have chased it down for the loss of one or two wickets, but it’s ok. No changes for us,” Ayush Mhatre said.
The match is important for both teams as they look to strengthen their position in Group B and move closer to qualification for the knockout stages.
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View AllIndia U19 vs Bangladesh U19: Playing XIs
India U19’s Playing XI: Ayush Mhatre (c), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Vedant Trivedi, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Kanishk Chouhan, Harvansh Pangalia, RS Ambrish, Henil Patel, Deepesh Devendran, Khilan Patel
Bangladesh U19’s Playing XI: MD Rifat Beg, Zawad Abrar, Md Azizul Hakim Tamim (c), Kalam Siddiki Aleen, Md Rizan Hossan, Md Farid Hasan Faysal (wk), Md Samiun Basir Ratul, Sheikh Paevez Jibon, Al Fahad, Saad Islam Razin, Iqbal Hossain Emon