India U19 captain Ayush Mhatre joined the elite list as he led the side to the U19 World Cup title win. India have now won 6 trophies at the junior levels. Mohammad Kaif led the side to their first title back in 2000 while Virat Kohli’s Indian team clinched a win in 2008.
Later, the Boys in Blue won the tournament in 2012 under Unmukt Chand, in 2018 under Prithvi Shaw and then in 2022 under Yash Dhull’s captaincy. Here we take a look at the captains of the winning teams and what are they doing now.
📸 📸
Moments they will never forget! 🙌
Let the celebrations begin 🇮🇳#U19WorldCup pic.twitter.com/wGpdChSbWW
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 6, 2026
Mohammad Kaif
After leading India to the U19 World Cup win in 2000, Mohammad Kaif soon made his debut for the senior team in Test format in the same year against South Africa in Bengaluru. The right-handed batter then made his ODI debut in 2002. Kaif’s unbeaten 87 in the NatWest Trophy final in 2002 against England is one of the most sought after knocks of his career that helped in India clinch the title.
He has been a part of Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals in IPL. Kaif is now seen having commentary stints.
Virat Kohli
One of the most successful batters at the highest level, Virat Kohli once led India to their second U19 World Cup title. India defeated South Africa in 2008 final. Kohli made his India debut in 2008 in ODIs while played his first T20I in 2010 and Test match in 2011.
Kohli was a part of the Indian team that won the 2011 ODI World Cup, 2013 Champions Trophy and 2024 T20 World Cup. The flamboyant himself led Team India across formats becoming the most successful Indian captain in Test cricket. He also led the side to Champions Trophy final in 2017 and the World Cup semi-final in 2019.
Known for his chase, Kohli has so far scored 85 hundreds in international cricket. The right-handed batter has bid adieu to Test cricket and T20Is and has been playing the ODIs for India.
Unmukt Chand
Unmukt Chand led India U19 team to a World Cup win in 2012. He didn’t play for India at the highest level but was a part of the IPL for Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals. He later moved to USA and featured in Major League Cricket, ILT20, BBL and CLT20.
Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw led India to the World Cup triumph in 2018. He then made his India debut in 2018 in Test cricket while played first ODI in 2020. But the lean patch forced his way out of the Indian team. Shaw had started his domestic career playing for Mumbai but switched to Maharashtra. He was also bought by Delhi Capitals again in the 2026 IPL auction.
Yash Dhull
Yash Dhull’s India U19 team clinched the World Cup in 2022. While he hasn’t made a cut in the senior team, Yash Dhull has become a household name in Indian domestic circuit playing for Delhi. The right-handed batter has featured for Delhi Capitals in IPL.
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