Garg, who represents Uttar Pradesh in the domestic set-up, has already featured in 12 first-class matches for an average of 66.69 and has a double-century against his name.

The side has another teenage double centurion in Mumbai's 17-year-old opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who struck 203 in 154 balls in October in the domestic 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy.

The team have pace options in Sushant Mishra, Kartik Tyagi, Akash Singh and Vidyadhar Patil, while left-arm spinners Atharva Ankolekar and Shubhang Hegde, and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi are the slow bowlers picked.

India are the most successful team in the tournament, having won four editions since 1988. The latest one came last year, when the side, coached by Rahul Dravid and captained by Prithvi Shaw, defeated Australia by eight wickets. The other title wins came in 2000, 2008 and 2012.

India are pitted against New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Japan in Group A; they begin their campaign against Sri Lanka on 19 January, in Bloemfontein. The final will be played on 9 February in Potchefstroom.

India won the previous edition of the tournament in New Zealand

Dravid, who is now the director of the National Cricket Academy, recently said that the Indian outfit has a good balance overall to fare well in South Africa.

"If the conditions in South Africa aid the fast bowlers, we will have a pretty good attack. We have got batting down to seven, eight, nine. We have got spinners. We had enough competition for places, so that was nice to see," he had said.

Ahead of the tournament, India will play a three-match one-day series against South Africa U19, as well as a quadrangular series featuring the two teams, along with Zimbabwe U19 and New Zealand U19.

India's squad for the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup: Priyam Garg (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Divyaansh Saxena, Dhruv Chand Jurel, Shashwat Rawat, Divyansh Joshi, Shubhang Hegde, Ravi Bishnoi, Akash Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Atharva Ankolekar, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Sushant Mishra and Vidyadhar Patil

India's squad for the South Africa tour: Priyam Garg (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Divyaansh Saxena, Dhruv Chand Jurel, Shashwat Rawat, Divyansh Joshi, Shubhang Hegde, Ravi Bishnoi, Akash Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Atharva Ankolekar, Kumar Kushagra, Sushant Mishra, Vidyadhar Patil and CTL Rakshan