Who is Anmoljit Singh? Punjab teen inspired by Harbhajan Singh earns India U-19 call-up

NEW DELHI: Young cricketer Anmoljit Singh from Ludhiana has secured a place in the India Under-19 team for the upcoming tour of Australia, bringing pride to Punjab cricket.Reacting to his selection, Anmoljit said preparations are already underway.

“The preparation is ongoing and a training camp will be held in a few days for the team,” he told ANI.

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The 18-year-old has been steadily rising through the ranks, having represented Punjab in various age-group competitions. “I played for the state in the Under-16. I played in the Under-19 series against Australia in India,” he added.Anmoljit also spoke about his cricketing inspiration, revealing his admiration for former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. “I idealised cricketer Harbhajan Singh,” he said, expressing pride in following the footsteps of the Punjab legend.Meanwhile, global preparations are also in full swing for the 2026 ICC Under-19 Men’s World Cup, to be jointly hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia. The USA recently became the 16th and final team to qualify, joining the 10 direct entrants from the 2024 edition and five regional qualifiers.India and Australia, the finalists from the last tournament, have earned automatic entry along with Bangladesh, England, Ireland, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the West Indies.

Hosts Zimbabwe also qualified directly as a Full Member nation.

Among the regional qualifiers, Tanzania made history by booking their maiden U-19 World Cup berth from Africa. Afghanistan clinched the Asia spot ahead of Nepal on net run-rate after their decisive clash was washed out. Japan topped the East Asia-Pacific group, Scotland grabbed the Europe slot with a dramatic win over the Netherlands, and the USA qualified from the Americas after victories against Canada, Bermuda and Argentina.The 2026 edition will feature 16 teams divided into four groups. The top three from each group will advance to the Super Sixes, followed by semi-finals and the final. India remain the most successful team in U-19 World Cup history with five titles, while defending champions Australia have lifted the trophy four times.