The BCCI has announced the India A squad for the ACC Men’s Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026, to be played in Doha, Qatar, from November 19 to 29. Tilak Varma will lead the side, with Rajat Patidar named vice-captain.
Teen batting star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been picked again, along with Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh and fast bowler Harshit Rana, which makes this one of the strongest India A squads for the tournament in recent years.
India A Squad for ACC Men’s Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Captain | Tilak Varma |
| Vice-captain | Rajat Patidar |
| Batters | Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Rinku Singh, Suryansh Shedge |
| Wicketkeepers | Prabhsimran Singh, Kumar Kushagra |
| All-rounders | Shahbaz Ahmed, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian |
| Spinner | Vipraj Nigam |
| Fast bowlers | Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav, Arshad Khan |
Full squad: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Tilak Varma (c), Rajat Patidar (vc), Rinku Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Suryansh Shedge, Shahbaz Ahmed, Vipraj Nigam, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav, Arshad Khan.
Tilak Varma to Lead, Big Names in the Squad
The selectors have gone with experience this time. Tilak Varma and Rajat Patidar have both captained sides at the top level, and players like Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh and Harshit Rana have already played international cricket for India. Their presence gives the young squad strong leadership in Doha.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was also part of last year’s squad, keeps his place. Kumar Kushagra, Suryansh Shedge, Tanush Kotian and Harsh Dubey are among the domestic performers who get another chance to impress on the Asian stage.
Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026: India A Schedule
India A are in Group B with Pakistan A, Nepal and UAE. Group A has Sri Lanka A, Bangladesh A, Afghanistan A and Hong Kong, China.
| Date | Match | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|
| November 20 | India A vs Nepal | 3:30 pm |
| November 22 | India A vs Pakistan A | 3:30 pm |
| November 24 | India A vs UAE | 11:30 am |
| November 26 and 27 | Semi-finals | TBC |
| November 29 | Final | TBC |
Matches will be played at the West End International Cricket Stadium and the University of Doha for Science and Technology ground. The top two teams from each group will move into the semi-finals.
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India A vs Pakistan A on November 22
The biggest group match will be India A against Pakistan A on November 22. Pakistan A are the defending champions after beating Bangladesh A in a Super Over in last year’s final, also played in Doha. India last won the tournament in 2013, when it was called the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup.
India A will look to end that long wait with a squad that has plenty of firepower at the top and international experience throughout.