Tilak Varma to Captain India A at Rising Stars Asia Cup

Tilak Varma will lead India A at the ACC Rising Stars Asia Cup later this month after being named captain of the 15-member squad announced on November 2. Rajat Patidar will serve as his vice-captain for the tournament, which runs from November 19 to 29 in Doha, Qatar. The squad blends some of India's most exciting young batting talent, including Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Rinku Singh, with wicketkeepers Prabhsimran Singh and Kumar Kushagra and a pace attack featuring Harshit Rana. India A have been drawn in Group B alongside Pakistan A, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates, while Group A contains Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Hong Kong and China. The 2026 edition is the second under the Rising Stars name and the eighth overall in the ACC's emerging-teams series. India open their campaign against Nepal on November 20 at West End Park International Stadium in Doha, before the high-profile Group B clash with Pakistan A at the same venue on November 22. The selectors' faith in Varma as captain underlines his growing standing in Indian cricket, and the tournament offers the squad a chance to press for higher honours against the best young players in Asia.