ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026 ODI: Top Players to Watch Out in the Tournament

The event which showcases stars for the future is finally here, as fans are eagerly awaiting for the start of ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026. It is a tournament where young stars will get the opportunity to showcase their talent to the world. This will give us a glimpse of the stars who will dominate the international cricket circuit in the coming years.

If we look at the previous U19 Cricket World Cup champions list, we can find teams with many stars who are currently active in international cricket. From Babar Azam to Joe Root, all the players who are currently ruling the cricket world made their early mark in this exact tournament. This is the reason why everyone is looking forward to this tournament, as it will unearth many new superstars.

In this article, we will take a look at those young players who are expected to make a big impact in this tournament. With the U19 Cricket World Cup schedule already out, you can check all the match dates to know when these stars will be seen in live action. Let’s take a look at their names below.

Sameer Minhas – Pakistan

The rising sensation of Pakistan cricket, Sameer Minhas, is all set to showcase his talent in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026. He is a batter who has made a quick name in the international arena by delivering breathtaking performances in recent matches. His batting against India in the final of ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup 2025 caught everyone’s attention, as it singlehandedly thrashed the archrivals in the first innings of the game.

Now, Sameer Minhas is geared up to perform at another big stage that will announce his arrival in a grand style. Since he is a top order batter, fans can expect plenty of big scores from him in this mega event.

Oliver Peake – Australia

Australia have found a gem in the form of Oliver Peake, as he is a batter who is expected to dominate the batting charts in the next decade of cricket. He is a swashbuckling batter who can take down bowlers ruthlessly. Due to this, he is being highly regarded in the Australian cricket circles as the next big thing.

Drawing inspiration from the previous U19 Cricket World Cup champions list, Oliver Peake wants to etch his name in the history books by winning this year’s mega event. It would be therefore interesting to see how he will perform in the tournament, as cricket experts and fans would be closely watching his batting.

Rizan Hossan – Bangladesh

Rizan Hossan is a young bowling allrounder from Bangladesh who idolizes Ben Stokes in international cricket. He wants to become a complete player for his team, which is why he believes in performing with both bat and ball in matches. The recent performances of Rizan in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket has been impressive, which is why fans are hopeful that he will also do well in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026.

Rizan is expected to bat in the middle order, so his runs would be vital for the Bangladesh team. In the bowling department, he can take the new ball, giving Bangladesh an option to pick quick wickets. This youngster is therefore a complete package, who can perform at different stages of the game.

Farhan Yousaf – Pakistan

The captain of the Pakistan U19 team, Farhan Yousaf, has entered the tournament with high hopes. After winning the ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup 2025, he has now set his sights on winning the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026. Farhan is a confident batter who understands how to dominate bowlers at different stages of the game. This is the quality that makes him a lead batter who can win crucial matches for Pakistan in this tournament.

Besides batting, Farhan’s captaincy skills are also remarkable. He understands the game well and can make quick decisions in real time. Due to this, he led the Pakistan team to ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup glory, and now his eyes are on the trophy of ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026.

Farhan Ahmed – England

Farhan Ahmed is a young English bowler with high ambitions for this year’s ICC U19 World Cup. While his elder brother, Rehan Ahmed, has already played for England, Farhan is working to earn similar recognition on the international stage. Keeping that in view, this year’s U19 Cricket World Cup is hugely important for him. He is a bowler who can take wickets quickly to give England an edge in the match. That is why the team will rely on him to dismantle the batting lineups quickly, as he has the skills to outclass anyone.

At the age of just 16, Farhan Ahmed made his senior debut for Nottinghamshire club. This defines the fact that he is not a rookie, but a skillful talent who has emerged from the English county circuit with loads of cricket experience.

Jorich van Schalkwyk – South Africa

Jorich van Schalkwyk is a promising young talent who can score big runs in this year’s marquee event. He is a specialist opening batter with sound technique and the patience needed to play long innings. These are the attributes that allowed him to become the first double centurion in men’s Youth ODIs recently. This is a milestone that is not easy to achieve while being a teenager, so the talent of Jorich van Schalkwyk is certainly not ordinary.

Jorich van Schalkwyk will aim to become the Player of the Tournament in the ICC U19 World Cup, as he has all the skills to emerge as one of the best batters in the coming days. Fans are therefore excited to see him in action, as he carries a class that closely resembles Dewald Brevis and Quinton de Kock.

Aryan Mann – New Zealand

Aryan Mann is a wicketkeeper batter who can win matches for New Zealand singlehandedly in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026. He recently made a dream debut to first-class cricket with a pair of half-centuries. With a strong understanding of batting, Aryan knows how to dominate bowlers by playing positively. He is therefore a threat for different pacers in this tournament, as he can smash big boundaries at will.

Playing alongside Jeet Raval in the domestic circuit, Aryan Mann has also mastered the art of playing long innings. In this tournament, his performances will play a vital role for New Zealand, as the surfaces in Zimbabwe and Namibia will require his sensible batting.  

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi – India

The rising batter from India, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, will be closely watched by many fans in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026. After showcasing his talent in the IPL, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will aim to make a mark in this year’s mega event. Although he is an aggressive batter, the upcoming matches will require him to play with a different approach. He needs to keep in mind that the tournament is not happening in India, therefore he needs to utilize his brain to score big in the matches. This will ultimately test his skills on the biggest stage, and will give plenty of answers related to his talent.

The recent outings of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in international cricket were quite disappointing. He will now look to showcase his real talent to the world by performing strongly in this event. He is undoubtedly a gifted talent who will play a key role for India to move ahead in the tournament.

Faisal Shinozoda – Afghanistan

Hailing from Afghanistan, Faisal Shinozoda has big aims in this year’s ICC U19 World Cup. He recently caught everyone’s attention after scoring big runs in the ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup 2025. While Afghanistan could not give notable performances in that event, Faisal Shinozoda was their only shining star who impressed many people. The young boy will now look to carry that momentum into this event, as performing here will help him to get recognition on the global cricket stage.

The good thing about Faisal Shinozoda is that he is a versatile batter. Ideally, he likes to open the batting, but can also come in at number three to strengthen the middle order. This makes him a highly valuable player who can perform with different gears in the matches. Afghanistan will rely heavily on him to score big runs in the tournament, as his recent form in batting is also exceptional.

Final Words

The ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026 promises to be a thrilling tournament where fans will see many new emerging stars. It is an event where every player will try to give his best, because it will give an opportunity to get recognition in the global cricket circuit. From Sameer Minhas to Jorich van Schalkwyk, the tournament will feature plenty of young stars carrying the hopes of their respective countries. It is therefore an exciting event where all matches will be highly competitive, showcasing the class and temperament of different players.