Tilak Varma will captain India A at the ACC Men’s Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha from 19 to 29 November, with Rajat Patidar as his deputy, the BCCI said on Monday. The 15-man squad for the 50-over tournament includes Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh and Harshit Rana alongside a group of domestic performers.
One of them made his case in the most direct way possible. On the day the squad was named, Harsh Dubey took 9 for 53 for Vidarbha against Madhya Pradesh in Nagpur, and one of the nine was Patidar, the man who will be his vice-captain in Doha.
Reading time: 3 minutes
Key points
- Tilak Varma captains India A at the 50-over Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha, 19 to 29 November, with Rajat Patidar as vice-captain
- India A are in Group B with Pakistan A, Nepal and the UAE, and play Pakistan A on 22 November
- Harsh Dubey, named in the squad, took 9 for 53 for Vidarbha against Madhya Pradesh on the same day, Patidar among his wickets
India A squad for the Rising Stars Asia Cup
Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Tilak Varma (capt), Rajat Patidar (vice-capt), Rinku Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Suryansh Shedge, Shahbaz Ahmed, Vipraj Nigam, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav, Arshad Khan.
There are two wicketkeepers. Kushagra was added to India A’s squad in New Zealand last month as cover while Rishabh Pant works through his fitness tests, and now gets a tournament of his own. Prabhsimran is the other gloveman.
A nine-for on selection day
Dubey bowled 23.1 overs at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha as Madhya Pradesh were all out for 209. According to Wisden, it is the best return by a Vidarbha bowler in a Ranji Trophy innings, beating Arun Ogiral’s 8 for 39 against the same opponents in 1967-68, and makes him the 30th bowler to take nine or more in an innings in the competition.
Patidar and Saransh Jain were among his victims. In Doha, Dubey will be bowling for Patidar rather than at him.
Pakistan A in the group
India A are in Group B with Pakistan A, Nepal and the UAE. They open against Nepal on 20 November and meet Pakistan A on 22 November, both at West End Park, before playing the UAE at the University of Doha for Science and Technology ground on 24 November.
Group A has Bangladesh A, Sri Lanka A, Afghanistan A, Hong Kong and China. The top two in each group go through to the semi-finals on 26 and 27 November, and the final is on Sunday 29 November.
A stronger side than the label suggests
Tilak, Abhishek, Rinku and Harshit have all played for India, and Patidar has Test caps. Picking them for a 50-over event gives the selectors a long look at one-day cricket from several players best known for T20, a year out from the 2027 World Cup.
For the senior side the focus is elsewhere: the five-match ODI series in New Zealand starts at Eden Park on 4 November, after India lost the final T20I in Hamilton.
For more, follow our Asia Cup coverage and the fixtures in our match centre.
Top image: Graphic: Cricket Betting
18+ only. If you choose to bet on cricket, set limits and bet responsibly. Help is available at our responsible gambling page.
Macaela Becker
Macaela is an iGaming writer who covers sports betting, casino platforms, and industry news. She researches betting markets, odds, and bonuses to create clear, practical guides.
She focuses on helping you stay informed while making betting easier to understand.
