India A will play a ‘new’ format in the Rising Stars Asia Cup this year. The 2025 competition will be played in T20 cricket format, while the event starting Nov 19 in Doha will be played in 50-overs format. Tilak Varma has been appointed the captain and Rajat Patidar has been appointed as his deputy.
India have a number of players who have had senior team experience in the past few years, such as Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh and Harshit Rana. The top three of the batting order is occupied by former world’s top-ranked T20I batsman Abhishek, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Prabhsimran Singh. Prabhsimran and Kumar Kushagra are the two options for wicketkeepers for the squad, while the latter was a recent inclusion in India’s T20 squad.
The team is well equipped with a good spin department for the longer format. Harsh Dubey, Shahbaz Ahmed, Vipraj Nigam, Tanush Kotian are all present and Prince Yadav and Arshad Khan are also on the pace options list with Rana. But the selection also provides Rana with the opportunity to play for the senior ODI team, following a year marred by injuries.
Sooryavanshi, Suryansh Shedge and Dubey are the only three who are returning from India’s squad for 2025. This edition concluded with Pakistan’s victory over Bangladesh, but now India is looking to a different format and a different group.
India A are in group B with Pakistan A, Nepal and the UAE. They will play against Nepal on 20th November, Pakistan A on 22nd November and conclude the group stage against the UAE on 24th November. Best two finishers advance to the semifinals.
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.