India A Squad For Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026: Tilak Varma To Lead; Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma Included

Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Tilak Varma have been named in India A's squad for the Rising Stars Asia Cup, with Tilak to lead the side and Rajat Patidar as vice-captain. The BCCI named the squad on Monday. The tournament will take place in Doha, Qatar, from November 19 to 29.

The call-up means there is still no break for Abhishek, Sooryavanshi and Tilak, who have been on the road for months.

The event will also serve as an important build-up for the trio before the T20I series against Sri Lanka next month.

India A have picked a strong squad. Several players in the group have already represented the senior men's team in T20Is, giving the side added depth ahead of a tournament that also features Pakistan A, Bangladesh A and Sri Lanka A.

Squad And Returns

Harshit Rana is back.

The fast bowler returns to competitive cricket after last featuring for India in the T20I series against England. He had been ruled out midway through that series with an injury and has not played for the national team since.

Prince Yadav also finds a place in the squad after his recent involvement in the T20I series against the West Indies and New Zealand. His selection adds to a group that the BCCI have packed with players who already have senior T20I exposure.

Tanush Kotian has also earned a call-up after his recent Ranji Trophy performances for Mumbai. He is expected to play a key role in the playing XI.

Tournament Path

Doha hosts the event.

The tournament is scheduled in Doha, Qatar, from November 19 to 29. India A are in Group B with the United Arab Emirates, Nepal and Pakistan A, while Group A has Bangladesh A, Sri Lanka A, Afghanistan A and Hong Kong, China.

The top two teams from each group will move into the semi-finals. Those matches are scheduled for November 26 and 27, with the final set for Sunday, November 29.

India A open their campaign against Nepal on November 20. They then face Pakistan A on November 22 before meeting the UAE on November 24.