Mhatre, along with vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra, are currently injured and will not be part of the bilateral series against South Africa. They will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to manage their wrist injuries and join the team for the Under-19 World Cup.
The three youth ODIs against South Africa Under-19 will take place in Benoni on January 3, 5, and 7. The World Cup commences on January 15.
India are in Group B at the Under-19 World Cup along with New Zealand, USA and Bangladesh. They begin their campaign on January 15 against USA in Bulawayo, followed by matches against Bangladesh on January 17 and New Zealand on January 24.
The tournament comprises 16 teams divided into four groups of four each in the first round. Twelve teams – three from each group – will progress to the next round, where the teams will be divided into two groups of six. The top two from each group of six will contest the semi-finals. The tournament begins concludes with the final on February 6 in Harare.
India Under-19 squad for SA tour
Vaibhav Suryavanshi (capt), Aaron George (vc), Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan, Yuvraj Gohil, Rahul Kumar
India squad for 2026 Under-19 World Cup: Ayush Mhatre (capt), Vihaan Malhotra (vc), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Aaron George, Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan