BCCI announces India A squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup, names Tilak Varma captain

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced India A’s squad for the ACC Men’s Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026. The tournament will be played in a 50-over format from November 19 to 29.

Star batter Tilak Varma has been named captain of the team. The squad also includes Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, Prince Yadav and Harshit Rana, along with several other players.

India A have been placed in Group B alongside Pakistan A, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates. They will begin their campaign against Nepal on November 20 at the West End Park International Stadium in Doha.

India A Squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup: Full players list

The India A squad for the Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026 includes a mix of experienced players and young talents. Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are expected to provide attacking options at the top of the order, while Rinku Singh will add strength to the middle order as a finisher. Prabhsimran Singh and Kumar Kushagra have been selected as the two wicketkeeping options.

Rajat Patidar has been named vice-captain and will support skipper Tilak Varma. The squad also marks Harshit Rana’s return after recovering from the injury he sustained during India’s tour of England. He will lead the pace attack alongside Prince Yadav and Arshad Khan. India A also have several all-round options, including Suryansh Shedge, Shahbaz Ahmed, Vipraj Nigam, Harsh Dubey and Tanush Kotian.

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India A squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026: 

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 and Arshad Khan.

Why BCCI picked Tilak Varma as captain: Key details

The BCCI’s decision to name Tilak Varma captain of India A for the ACC Men’s Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026 is part of its long-term leadership plans. The selection committee sees him as a potential leader for the future and wants to give him more experience ahead of major events, including the 2028 Olympics and the 2028 T20 World Cup.

Tilak already has considerable leadership experience in domestic and international cricket. He has captained Hyderabad across formats, led South Zone in the Duleep Trophy and guided India A to victory in the 2026 Sri Lanka Tri-Nation Series. He also captained India A at the 2024 Emerging Teams Asia Cup. At the senior level, he serves as India’s T20I vice-captain and was part of the team that won the 2026 T20 World Cup.

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His performances in important matches have also strengthened his position as a leader. Tilak scored an unbeaten 69 against Pakistan in the 2025 Asia Cup final and won the Player of the Match award. His consistent performances across formats have further established him as an important part of India’s plans. The Rising Stars Asia Cup will give him another opportunity to develop his leadership skills.

Rising Stars Asia Cup schedule and what happens next

India have been placed in Group B alongside Pakistan, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026. They will begin their campaign against Nepal on November 20 at the West End Park International Stadium in Doha. Their next match will be against Pakistan A on November 22, followed by their final group-stage game against the UAE on November 24.

Group A features Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Hong Kong, China. The tournament will run from November 19 to 29, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the semi-finals. The semi-finals are scheduled for November 26 and 27, while the final will take place on November 29.

India will aim to progress to the knockout stage and challenge for the title. Much of the attention will be on the opening pair of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma. Abhishek will look to carry his strong form from the recent series against New Zealand into the tournament and help India make a winning start.