Barely 10 days ahead of the 15th edition of the ICC Under-19 men’s cricket World Cup 2024 in South Africa, India skipper Uday Saharan exuded confidence on his team’s preparations while expressing that the team is well aware of the challenges during the marquee tournament, labelled as producing the next generation of superstars.

Placed in Group A, defending champions India will start their campaign against 2020 U19 World Cup winning Bangladesh at Bloemfontein on January 20, before facing Ireland on January 25 and their final group game against the US on January 28.

“Our preparation has been intense, and the team has been working tirelessly to fine-tune every aspect of our game. We understand the challenges that come with representing our country at this level, but the excitement within the squad is palpable,” Uday said.

India hold the record for being the most successful team in the tournament’s history, lifting the U-19 World Cup title for five times, and will start as overwhelming favourites.

“The prospect of competing against the best U19 teams from around the world is both thrilling and motivating. We have a great blend of talent, determination, and team spirit, and we are looking forward to embracing the competition and giving our best on the field,” Uday said.

India defeated England to lift the title for a record fifth time in the 2022 edition, held in the West Indies.

The 2024 edition promises to be an exciting one with a total of 41 matches to be played among 16 teams across five venues during the 24-day tournament. Besides the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein, the other four venues are Kimberley Oval in Kimberley, JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom, Buffalo Park in East London and Willowmoore Park in Benoni – the venue selected to host the semi-finals and final encounter on February 11.

With the start of the tournament fast approaching, teams are also entering the final stages of their preparations, and warm-up fixtures are set to take place across venues in Johannesburg and Pretoria between January 13 to 17.

Accordingly, each team will play two warm-up fixtures before the main event commences on January 19. The Indian colts will be featuring against Australia on January 13 at Pretoria before playing their final warmup game against Sri Lanka on January 17 at the same venue.

South Africa secured the hosting rights for the tournament, replacing Sri Lanka, who were initially slated to host the tournament. The International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) during the 2023 ODI World Cup due to the country’s political interference. This led to the ICC awarding South Africa the rights to host the U-19 World Cup for the third time.