KEY POINTS
- Pakistan’s Sameer Minhas enters supreme form with 585 runs in his last six innings.
- India’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is already an IPL-signee and explosive batter.
- South Africa’s Jorich van Schalkwyk aims to be his nation’s third straight Player of the Tournament.
- Australia’s captain Oliver Peake returns with senior-team experience.
- England’s captain Farhan Ahmed brings historic first-class achievements.
ISLAMABAD: The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup has long served as the definitive launching pad for cricketing immortality.
From Yuvraj Singh (2000) to Shubman Gill (2018), its Player of the Tournament honour roll reads like a future Hall of Fame list.
The stage is set for the next class of cricket prodigies to emerge as the ICC U19 World Cup 2026 approaches.
From January 15 to February 6, these young talents, some already causing ripples in senior cricket, will have their chance to shine.
Here are WE News English’s picks for the players destined to capture the world’s attention.
Pakistan – Sameer Minhas
Few capture a nation’s imagination like a teenage batter in supreme form. Sameer Minhas does exactly that.
Fresh off a blistering 114 from 51 balls to power Pakistan to a tri-series title on Tuesday, he arrives with unstoppable momentum.
His crowning achievement remains a majestic 172 in the U19 Asia Cup final, he highest score ever in a junior final by a Pakistani.
With 585 runs in his last six youth innings, including three centuries, Minhas is the most in-form batter entering the tournament.
India – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Cricket may not have witnessed a talent as precocious as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. At just 14, he has already scored a century on India U19 debut, become the youngest-ever IPL signee, and hammered the second-fastest century in the tournament’s history (35 balls).
In the recent U19 Asia Cup, his 171 off 95 balls against the UAE set a new record for the fastest Youth ODI hundred.
Averaging over 50 with a strike rate of 182, he is the tournament’s most explosive attraction.
South Africa – Jorich van Schalkwyk
Jorich van Schalkwyk announced his talent by shattering records. In July, he broke a 25-year-old South African U19 mark with an unbeaten 164.
Just three days later, he made global history by smashing 215 against Zimbabwe, the first double century in men’s Youth ODI cricket.
Now with first-class experience, he aims to become the third consecutive South African, after Dewald Brevis and Kwena Maphaka, to win the Player of the Tournament award.
Australia – Oliver Peake
Oliver Peake is no stranger to World Cup glory, having been part of Australia’s triumphant 2024 squad as injury cover.
Now, he returns as captain, armed with Big Bash and first-class experience, and even having travelled with Australia’s Test squad to Sri Lanka.
His big-match temperament, proven in the semi-final and final two years ago, makes him the cornerstone of Australia’s campaign.
England – Farhan Ahmed
Following in his brother Rehan’s footsteps, leg-spinner Farhan Ahmed has already made history. At 16, he became Nottinghamshire’s second-youngest debutant.
A year later, he broke a 159-year-old record by becoming the youngest-ever player to take a 10-wicket haul in a first-class match.
Leading England in his second U19 World Cup, his leadership and wicket-taking prowess will be crucial.
Other Notable Contenders
Afghanistan – Faisal Shinozoda: An elegant top-order batter who has scored consistently, including a century against Bangladesh.
Bangladesh – Rizan Hossan: A pace-bowling all-rounder inspired by Ben Stokes, capable of match-winning contributions with both bat and ball.
New Zealand – Aryan Mann: A wicketkeeper-batter who announced himself with twin half-centuries on his first-class debut.
Sri Lanka – Sethmika Seneviratne: A medium-pace spearhead who was among the wickets in the Asia Cup, key to Sri Lanka’s hopes.
Zimbabwe – Kian Blignaut: Son of legend Andy, a top-order batter and leg-spinner looking to lead the hosts on a memorable run.
From record-shattering batters to history-making bowlers, the U19 World Cup 2026 is set to unveil the next generation of cricketing superstars.
