India's Under-19 cricket team commenced their ICC U-19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026 campaign with a resounding six-wicket victory over the United States of America. The match, played on the opening day of the tournament, saw India's right-arm pacer Henil Patel deliver a sensational performance, claiming five wickets for just 16 runs from seven overs, effectively dismantling the USA batting lineup. The USA was bowled out for a meager 107 runs in 35.2 overs. In response, India, despite a brief scare and rain interruption that revised their target to 96 runs in 37 overs via the DLS method, successfully chased down the target. Abhigyan Kundu played a pivotal role in the chase, scoring an unbeaten 42 runs off 41 balls, ensuring India's comfortable win with 118 balls to spare. In another opening day fixture, the West Indies Under-19 team secured an equally dominant five-wicket victory against tournament debutants Tanzania. Tanzania, batting first, was restricted to 122 runs in 34 overs. The West Indies chased down the target with ease, clinching their first win in Group D with 29 overs remaining. These results highlight strong starts for both India and the West Indies in the prestigious youth tournament, which is being co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15 to February 6, 2026. India, as five-time champions, are looking to add a record-extending sixth title to their name.