![USA U19 cricket team for U19 World Cup [Source: Screengrab]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1768469730570_USAU19cricketteamforU19WorldCup.jpg?type=hq)
USA U19 cricket team for U19 World Cup [Source: Screengrab]
The U19 World Cup 2026 has officially begun, with the India U19 team taking on the USA U19 side on January 15. However, what grabbed the attention of Indian fans was the composition of the USA U19 lineup.
A majority of the players in the USA team are of Indian origin, which sparked a wave of reactions on social media, with many users jokingly calling the contest an โIndia vs Indiaโ clash.
The USA U19 team is led by Utkarsh Srivastava, who is of Indian origin and was born in Pune, Maharashtra, in 2007. The squad featured Indians by origin, such as Amrinder Gill, Adit Kappa, Arjun Mahesh, Sahir Bhatia, Shiv Shani, and Nitish Sudini.
Why India-origin players have strong presence in USA U19 team?
The strong presence of Indian-origin players in the USA U19 squad may surprise many, but it reflects broader trends in the United States.
Indian-origin athletes, especially in cricket, have grown in number due to demographic shifts, professional opportunities, and the dominance of the South Asian diaspora in the sport.
As of 2026, the United States is home to more than 5.16 million people of Indian descent. This large population naturally increases the likelihood of Indian-origin players representing the USA in cricket.
Under ICC regulations, players are eligible to represent a country if they have resided there for three years or more, which explains the heavy Indian-origin presence in the USA U19 World Cup squad.
Netizens roast USA U19 teamโs India supremacy
With all players having Indian roots reflected in their surnames, social media users could not resist trolling the team. Letโs take a look at the Playing XI of the USA team first.
Utkarsh Srivastava (c), Adnit Jhamb, Nitish Sudini, Arjun Mahesh, Amrinder Gill, Sabrish Parsad, Adit Kappa, Amogh Arepally, Sahil Garg, Rishabh Shimpi, Ritvik Appidi
Now, letโs take a look at how the netizens trolled the USA U19 team on social media.
India dominate USA at Bulawayo
On the field, India dominated the USA in this Group B match being played at Bulawayo. In the match, the USA U19 team struggled to make an impact. Opener Amrinder Gill was dismissed for just one run on the third ball of the second over.
Sahil Garg departed in the ninth over, followed by captain Utkarsh Srivastava in the 12th. At the time of writing, the USA were five wickets down for just 39 runs. With the middle order collapsing, they appeared to have little leverage to push their total beyond the 150-run mark.
The highest scorers for the USA (at the time of writing) were Sahil Garg and Arjun Mahesh, who contributed 16 runs each. From Indiaโs bowling attack, Henil Patel was the standout performer, picking up three wickets for 14 runs in his six overs.
Deepesh Devendran chipped in with one wicket, while Khilan Patel also claimed a wicket and maintained an impressive economy rate of 2.25.
Indiaโs U19 side features several promising talents, including skipper Ayush Matre and young batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who is known for his explosive style.
Vihaan Malhotra and Avigyan Kundu have also made headlines in previous major tournaments for their aggressive knocks. With such depth in batting, India are unlikely to face much resistance from the USA bowling attack.
