New Delhi/Doha: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the India A squad for the upcoming ACC Rising Stars Asia Cup (formerly the Emerging Teams tournament), naming wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma as captain. The tournament is scheduled to be held in Doha, Qatar, from November 14 to 23.
Middle-order batter Naman Dhir will serve as the vice-captain of the 15-member squad, which was selected by the senior men’s selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar. The squad is a blend of promising domestic performers and breakout stars from the recent Indian Premier League (IPL).
The most notable inclusion is the 14-year-old prodigy, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, whose selection for the ‘A’ side explains his absence from the ongoing Under-19 Challenger Trophy. Suryavanshi, who has already made waves in domestic and age-group cricket, is one of the youngest players to be named in the India A setup.
The batting unit is headlined by Priyansh Arya, the Punjab Kings and DPL star. Arya had an exceptional debut IPL season in 2025, amassing 475 runs at a strike rate of 179.24, finishing with the third-highest tally for his franchise. He recently made his first-class debut for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy.
The fast-bowling attack features four talents from the BCCI’s targeted fast-bowling pool: Gurjapneet Singh, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yudhvir Singh, and Yash Thakur.
The tournament opens on November 14 with Pakistan A facing Oman, and India A taking on the UAE.
The most anticipated match of the group stage, the clash between India A and Pakistan A, is scheduled for November 16. This marks the first men’s cricketing encounter between the two nations since the senior Asia Cup 2024.
India A Squad for ACC Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025: Priyansh Arya, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Nehal Wadhera, Naman Dhir (Vice-Captain), Suryansh Shedge, Jitesh Sharma (Captain & Wk), Ramandeep Singh, Harsh Dubey, Ashutosh Sharma, Yash Thakur, Gurjapneet Singh, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yudhvir Singh, Abishek Porel (Wk), and Suyash Sharma.
