Two Sri Lankan heritage players in Aussie U-19 squad

By Susil Premalal

Australia has named its squad for the ICC U-19 World Cup 2026 picking two players with Sri Lankan roots in Nitesh Samuel and Naden Cooray.

Both are said to have earned their places after some stellar performances at the Under-19 National Championships.

Samuel topped the charts with 364 runs at an average of 91 winning the Player of the Tournament award while Cooray impressed with his all-round skills. Both were also named in the Team of the Tournament.

Australia will play its first match on January 16 against Ireland and meet Sri Lanka on January 23 in the host country Namibia.

The squad also has two players of Indian heritage.