Jitesh Sharma to Captain India 'A' in Rising Stars Asia Cup

Mumbai — The Senior Men’s Selection Committee has announced the India ‘A’ squad for the upcoming Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Rising Stars Asia Cup, to be held in Qatar from November 14 to 23. All matches will take place at the West End International Cricket Stadium in Doha.

The tournament will feature two groups: Group A includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka, while Group B comprises India ‘A’, Oman, UAE, and Pakistan ‘A’.

Wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has been appointed captain of the India ‘A’ team, with Punjab all-rounder Naman Dhir serving as vice-captain.

One of the most notable inclusions is 14-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who earns his maiden call-up to the India ‘A’ side. The young star recently made headlines for scoring the fourth-fastest Youth Test century in history, reaching the milestone in just 78 balls against Australia U19 at the Ian Healy Oval last month. Earlier, he also broke the record for most career sixes in Youth ODI cricket during a 70-run knock off 68 balls in the second India U19 vs Australia U19 one-day match in September.

The squad also features Priyansh Arya, one of the breakout performers of the 2025 IPL season. The 24-year-old impressed in his debut year with the Punjab Kings, earning widespread recognition for his consistent performances.

India ‘A’ Squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup:
Priyansh Arya, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Nehal Wadhera, Naman Dhir (VC), Suryansh Shedge, Jitesh Sharma (C & WK), Ramandeep Singh, Harsh Dubey, Ashutosh Sharma, Yash Thakur, Gurjapneet Singh, Vijay Kumar Vyshak, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Abhisek Porel (WK), Suyash Sharma.

Stand-by Players:
Gurnoor Singh Brar, Kumar Kushagra, Tanush Kotian, Sameer Rizvi, Shaik Rasheed.

With inputs from IANS