The squads of Pakistan Shaheens and India A have been announced for the ACC Men’s Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has handed the captaincy of the 15-member squad to Abdul Samad, while Tilak Varma will lead India A.
The Pakistan Shaheens squad comprises Abdul Samad (captain), Ahmed Daniyal, Aaqib Javed, Danish Aziz, Farhan Yousuf, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Saad Masood, Shahzaib Khan, Shamyl Hussain and Sufyan Muqeem.
The India A team includes Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Prabhsimran Singh, Tilak Varma (captain), Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, Kumar Kushagra, Suryansh Shedge, Shahbaz Ahmed, Vipraj Nigam, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav and Arshad Khan.
Both teams have been placed in Group B, alongside Nepal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Pakistan Shaheens will begin their campaign against the UAE on November 20, while India A will play their opening match against Nepal on the same day. The two traditional rivals will face each other on November 22.
India A’s squad includes internationally experienced players such as Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh and Tilak Varma, while 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi is also part of the team. On the other hand, Pakistan Shaheens have selected a batting line-up featuring Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Haider Ali and Shamyl Hussain, along with a bowling attack comprising Mohammad Hasnain, Ahmed Daniyal and Sufyan Muqeem.
Eight teams will participate in the 50-over tournament, which will be held in Qatar from November 19 to 29. Following the group stage, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled to be played on November 26 and 27, while the final will take place on November 29.
Pakistan Shaheens were crowned champions in the last 50-over edition, held in 2023, after defeating India A by 128 runs in the final. Now, the two teams will once again face each other in the race for the title.
