Group A of the Under-19 men's World Cup 2026, co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia, sees defending champions and four-time winners Australia alongside Sri Lanka, Ireland and second-time qualifiers Japan. Here are six players from across the Group A teams to keep an eye on.
Oliver Peake (Australia)
Peake returns to the U-19 World Cup having already lifted the trophy once, joining as an injury replacement in the 2024 edition and played a key role in a title-winning campaign. Since then, the Victoria batter has gained senior domestic exposure in all three formats and now leads Australia U-19 as captain. A last-ball match-winning effort for Melbourne Renegades recently in the BBL showed his calmness under pressure.
Will Malajczuk (Australia)
Malajczuk can trouble teams with two skills. A left-hand batter who bowls right-arm off-spin, Malajczuk was close to making his senior one-day debut for Western Australia earlier this year after dominating the U-17 national championships that earned him a promotion into the senior setup. He likes to bat like Quinton de Kock and his height makes him a challenging offie.
Kugathas Mathulan (Sri Lanka)
The 18-year-old fast bowler from Jaffna has risen to prominence for his yorkers delivered with a slingy action like Lasith Malinga and Matheesha Pathirana. He also piqued the interest of T20 franchises including Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, but hasn't been picked anywhere yet. After missing the 2025 U-19 Asia Cup with a groin injury, Mathulan will be looking to make a big impact in Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Vigneshwaran Akash (Sri Lanka)
The legspinner from Jaffna got limited chances in the U-19 Asia Cup but enjoyed a prolific tour of the West Indies before that, claiming 20 wickets in just seven matches. His ability to strike regularly through the middle overs was a key feature of that campaign. Against batters who haven't faced a lot of wristspin through the ranks, he will be a handful.
Charlie Hara-Hinze (Japan)
Japan's campaign will revolve around spin-bowling all-rounder Hara-Hinze, already a member of the senior national side. He was named Player of the Tournament during Japan's run for U-19 World Cup qualification and has also made headlines in Australia, scoring 99 and taking 6 for 4 in a Brisbane Under-17 match. His brothers, twins Gabriel and Montgomery, are also in the squad.
Sebastian Dijkstra (Ireland)
The legspinner has already played against England, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the U-19 circuit, and now comes into the World Cup after spending the Irish winter in Australia playing club cricket. Last month, he worked closely with former Australia internationals Rob Quiney and Bryce McGain, and is an aggressive batter lower down.