TIL Desk Sports/ Three-time champions India and Australia are set to clash in their tournament-opener of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup scheduled to be held from January 13 to February 3 next year. India and Australia are clubbed together in Group B along with Zimbabwe and East Asia Pacific qualifier Papua New Guinea, an ICC release read on Wednesday.
Defending champions West Indies will play hosts New Zealand on the opening day of 16-team tournament in the inaugural Group A day-night fixture at Bay Oval, featuring 16 teams across seven venues in four cities: Christchurch, Queenstown, Tauranga and Whangarei.
The other teams in Group A are 2012 champions South Africa and Africa qualifiers Kenya. The 10 Test playing nations (prior to Afghanistan and Ireland’s recent inclusion) gained automatic qualification to the event along with the best finishing associate from the last edition, Namibia. They are joined by five regional qualifiers in the biennial tournament that showcases future stars every two years.