Cricket enthusiasts are set for another high-voltage clash between traditional rivals India and Pakistan. The Rising Stars Asia Cup will take place in Doha, Qatar, during November 2026, featuring the A squads of both nations placed together in the same group. Ahead of the tournament, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has formally unveiled the India A squad under the captaincy of Tilak Varma.
Tournament Format and Host City Arrangements
The competition begins on November 19, culminating in the championship match on November 29. All fixtures throughout the multi-nation tournament will be held in Qatar's capital city, Doha. Eight participating teams have been divided equally into two distinct pools.
India finds itself in Group B alongside Pakistan A, Nepal, and the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, Group A features Bangladesh A, Sri Lanka A, Afghanistan A, and Hong Kong. Each side will compete in round-robin group fixtures to secure advancement to the playoffs.
Knockout Schedule Leading to the Final
Once the preliminary phase concludes, the top two squads from each bracket will advance directly into the semi-finals. These penultimate knockout matches are scheduled for November 26 and November 27. The two winning teams will then battle for the continental trophy in the grand final on November 29.
India A Match Schedule and the Pakistan Showdown
Under the leadership of Tilak Varma, India A will inaugurate their campaign on Friday, November 20, going up against Nepal at the West End Park International Stadium. Two days later, on Sunday, November 22, the blockbuster meeting between India A and Pakistan A will take place at the identical venue.
India's third and concluding group-stage encounter will see them play against the UAE on Tuesday, November 24, hosted at the Doha University for Science and Technology grounds. A strong performance across these three fixtures will be critical to finishing atop Group B and securing favorable knockout seeding.
Spotlight on Teen Prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
A central talking point around the Indian squad is the selection of 15-year-old batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Having already made an impression on the international stage at an unusually young age, Sooryavanshi has garnered acclaim worldwide for his explosive strokeplay. Supporters follow his batting enthusiastically, and many anticipate seeing him open the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma, potentially providing a blistering start against Pakistan.
The squad also features experienced campaigner Rajat Patidar as vice-captain, fresh off guiding Royal Challengers Bengaluru to back-to-back IPL titles.
Complete 15-Member India A Squad
The BCCI selection committee has assembled a balanced combination of dynamic hitters, wicketkeepers, and bowling options
- Tilak Varma (Captain)
- Rajat Patidar (Vice-Captain)
- Abhishek Sharma
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- Prabhsimran Singh (Wicketkeeper)
- Kumar Kushagra (Wicketkeeper)
- Rinku Singh
- Suryansh Shedge
- Shahbaz Ahmed
- Vipraj Nigam
- Harsh Dubey
- Tanush Kotian
- Harshit Rana
- Prince Yadav
- Arshad Khan
