5 Indian cricketers you didn’t know featured in the Under-19 World Cup ft. Cheteshwar Pujara

The 2026 ICC Under-19 World Cup began on January 15 with a match between India and USA. A total of 16 teams are taking part in the tournament, which is being played in Zimbabwe and Namibia. The event features some of the best young cricket talents from around the world.

India are the most successful team in Under-19 World Cup history, having won the title five times. Many fans will remember Prithvi Shaw, who led India to victory in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. Before that, in 2008, a young Indian team led by Virat Kohli won the trophy in Malaysia.

Several current Indian stars first made their mark at the Under-19 World Cup. Players like Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Abhishek Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Kuldeep Yadav announced their arrival on the big stage through this tournament.

While most fans remember these well-known names, here is a list of five Indian players you may not know who also once represented India in the Under-19 World Cup.

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1. Arshdeep Singh

India’s highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket, Arshdeep Singh, was part of India’s Under-19 World Cup–winning team in 2018. The team was led by Prithvi Shaw, and the tournament was held in New Zealand.

Arshdeep played two matches in the competition and took three wickets. He bowled with great control and had an economy rate of just two runs per over. At the time, most of the attention was on fast bowlers Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi, who regularly touched 140 kmph, but Arshdeep was also part of the same strong pace group.

2. Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer represented India in the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2014, which was hosted by the UAE. India finished fifth, while South Africa won the tournament.

Iyer played three matches and scored 161 runs at a strike rate of 105.22. The spotlight was mainly on players like Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, Sarfaraz Khan, and Deepak Hooda, but Iyer made good use of his chances. He is now the vice-captain of India’s ODI team.

3. KL Rahul

KL Rahul, who is now known for handling pressure at the senior level, played in the Under-19 World Cup 2010. He batted at number three for India.

The team was led by Ashok Menaria, with Akshath Reddy and Mayank Agarwal opening the batting. India finished sixth after losing to South Africa in the fifth-place play-off. Rahul scored 143 runs in six innings at a strike rate of under 70.

4. Cheteshwar Pujara

Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara was the backbone of the Test team for many years. While he is known as a red-ball specialist, not many fans know that he was the top scorer in the Under-19 World Cup 2006.

Pujara scored 349 runs in six matches, averaging 116.33 with a strike rate of 82.11. Despite such a strong record at the youth level, he played only five ODIs for India in his senior career.

5. Stuart Binny

Stuart Binny, who once held the record for the best bowling figures by an Indian in ODIs, played in the Under-19 World Cup 2002.

The pace-bowling all-rounder featured in six matches, scoring 34 runs and taking four wickets. He made his senior India debut 12 years later and produced a memorable spell of 6/4 against Bangladesh in an ODI in 2014.