The ICC (International Cricket Council) has just made a statement by its Head, Jay Shah, that India and Pakistan are going to different groups in the next ICC tournament, and the Asia Cup 2025 drama has caused quite a stir.
Jay Shah has announced the itinerary, and the places for the 16th edition of ICC U19 World Cup 2026. It is going to be co-hosted by Namibia and Zimbabwe. The ICC U19 World Cup 2026 will take place from 15 January to 6 February 2026
The ICC U19 World Cup 2026 has been scheduled, and India and Pakistan have been put in separate groups.
The competition format has not altered, with 16 sides divided into four groups of four and 41 matches being played over 23 days. India’s group includes the US, New Zealand, and Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Pakistan is in Pool B with Zimbabwe, England, and Scotland. The teams will touch down in the host country on January 8, and the training matches will be held from January 9 to 14.
This is how the draw looks like:
Group A: India, Bangladesh, the USA, and New Zealand
Group B: Zimbabwe, Pakistan, England, and Scotland
Group C: Australia, Ireland, Japan, and Sri Lanka
Group D: Tanzania, West Indies, Afghanistan, and South Africa
Tanzania making history as they come to ICC U19 World Cup 2026 with electrifying matches all around
The ICC U19 World Cup 2026 will be launched with great enthusiasm on the first day, where India will meet the USA, Scotland will be up against Zimbabwe and Rwanda will be facing the West Indies. The African nation, Tanzania, is going to make its first appearance in the tournament while Japan is returning after participating in 2020.
The following stage of the competition will be the Super Six round, which takes place after the group phase. During this period, the two new groups of six will contain the best three teams from every group, who will vie for a spot in the eliminations.
The best teams are getting to the semi-finals and eventually the final. These games are going to be scheduled with reserve days to ensure that there are no interruptions. The matches are going to be held in five prime locations: Harare Sports Club and Takashinga Sports Club in Harare, Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, and two places in Windhoek, Namibia—the Namibia Cricket Ground and High-Performance Oval Cricket Ground.
Jay Shah and U19 World Cup’s role in the emergence of superstars
Jay Shah, in an official release, stated: “The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup has been a great place to see the next generation of top players. A tournament that not only comes forth with the next generation of players but also of the next generation of icons. The tournament has been able to give a strong foundation for the future of the sport consistently.”
The ICC president further expressed, “We are indeed looking forward to 2026 when Zimbabwe and Namibia will be the hosts once again. We are very pleased to be able to provide young cricketers with the same quality of platform that mirrors the standards and pressures of senior international cricket. This tournament is where the fairytales start, where enmities emerge, and the global cricketing scenery slowly gets ready to witness the next.”.
Finally, Jay Shah was very positive about the fact that Tanzania is going to be participating in the tournament for the first time. In addition, he gave the teams the best of luck saying that they are going to start a very important journey where they will represent their countries with pride and hope.
Schedule for the ICC U-19 world Cup
15 January: USA vs India at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
15 January: Zimbabwe vs Scotland at Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
15 January: Tanzania vs West Indies at High Performance Oval Cricket Ground, Windhoek
16 January: Pakistan vs England at Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
16 January: Australia vs Ireland at Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
16 January: Afghanistan vs South Africa at High Performance Oval Cricket Ground, Windhoek
17 January: India vs Bangladesh at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
17 January: Japan vs Sri Lanka at Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
18 January: New Zealand vs USA at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
18 January: England vs Zimbabwe at Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
18 January: West Indies vs Afghanistan at High Performance Oval Cricket Ground, Windhoek
19 January: Pakistan vs Scotland at Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
19 January: Sri Lanka vs Ireland at Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
19 January: South Africa vs Tanzania at High Performance Oval Cricket Ground, Windhoek
20 January: Bangladesh vs New Zealand at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
20 January: Australia vs Japan at Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
21 January: England vs Scotland at Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
21 January: Afghanistan vs Tanzania at HP Oval, Windhoek
22 January: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan at Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
22 January: Ireland vs Japan at Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
22 January: West Indies vs South Africa at High Performance Oval Cricket Ground, Windhoek
23 January: Bangladesh vs USA at Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
23 January: Sri Lanka vs Australia at Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
24 January: India vs New Zealand at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
24 January: A4 vs D4 at High Performance Oval Cricket Ground, Windhoek
25 January: Super Six A1 vs D3 at Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
25 January: Super Six D2 vs A3 at High Performance Oval Cricket Ground, Windhoek
26 January: B4 vs C4 at Harare Sports Club, Harare
26 January: Super Six C1 vs B2 at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
26 January: Super Six D1 vs A2 at Namibia Cricket Ground, Windhoek
27 January: Super Six C2 vs B3 at Harare Sports Club, Harare
27 January: Super Six C3 vs B1 at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
28 January: Super Six A1 vs D2 at Harare Sports Club, Harare
29 January: Super Six D3 vs A2 at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
30 January: Super Six D1 vs A3 at Harare Sports Club, Harare
30 January: Super Six B3 vs C1 at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
31 January: Super Six B2 vs C3 at Harare Sports Club, Harare
01 February: Super Six B1 vs C2 at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
03 February: First Semi-Final at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
04 February: Second Semi-Final at Harare Sports Club, Harare
06 February: Final at Harare Sports Club, Harare
