DOHA — Tilak Varma has been appointed captain of India A for the ACC Rising Stars Asia Cup, a 50-over tournament beginning November 19 in Doha. The squad features Abhishek Sharma, the world's No.1 T20I batter, alongside young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and IPL run-scorer Prabhsimran Singh in the top order. Rajat Patidar has been named Tilak's deputy, while Rinku Singh completes the middle order. Kumar Kushagra serves as reserve wicketkeeper after a brief call-up to the Indian T20 squad.
The pace attack includes Harshit Rana, Arshad Khan and Prince Yadav, while spin options comprise Shahbaz Ahmed, Vipraj Nigam, Tanush Kotian and Harsh Dubey. India A is placed in Group B alongside Pakistan A, Nepal and the UAE. India A begins its campaign on November 20 against Nepal, followed by fixtures against Pakistan A on November 22 and the UAE on November 24. A top-two finish in the group will advance India A to the semifinal.
Last year's edition was played in the T20 format in Doha, with Pakistan beating Bangladesh in the final. This year's tournament shifts to the 50-over format. Only Sooryavanshi, Suryansh Shedge and Harsh Dubey have been retained from the 2025 squad.
