The United States has officially secured the final spot in the 2026 ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, following a dominant performance in the Americas Qualifier held in Rydal, Georgia. Led by wicketkeeper-batter Arjun Mahesh, the USA U19 team clinched qualification with a game to spare, becoming the 16th and final team to join the global tournament.
USA’s campaign was marked by emphatic victories over Canada, Bermuda, and Argentina in a double round-robin format. The team set the tone with a 65-run win against Canada and followed it up with commanding wins over Bermuda and Argentina. In the return leg, the USA bowlers continued their dominance, bowling out Argentina for just 34 runs and securing a nine-wicket victory.
Top-order batter Amrinder Singh Gill was the standout performer, scoring 199 runs in three innings. Spin duo Ansh Rai and Sahir Bhatia also impressed, each claiming seven wickets during the qualifiers.
The 2026 ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup will be jointly hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia. The tournament will feature a mix of traditional cricketing powerhouses and emerging teams. The full list of qualified teams includes:
- Hosts: Zimbabwe
- Automatic qualifiers (Top 10 from 2024 edition): India, Australia, England, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand, Ireland
- Regional qualifiers: USA (Americas), Tanzania (Africa), Afghanistan (Asia), Japan (East Asia-Pacific), Scotland (Europe)
USA’s qualification marks a significant milestone in the country’s cricket development, reflecting growing grassroots engagement and competitive potential on the international stage.
