NEW DELHI: Teen prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi and IPL performer Priyansh Arya have been included in the Jitesh Sharma-led India A squad for the upcoming Rising Stars Asia Cup, scheduled to take place in Doha from November 14 to 23.

India A will compete in Group B alongside Oman, UAE, and Pakistan A, while Group A features Bangladesh A, Hong Kong, Afghanistan A, and Sri Lanka A. The Jitesh-led side will open their campaign against the UAE on November 14 before facing arch-rivals Pakistan A two days later.

Jitesh, currently in Australia with the senior Indian team for the T20I series, brings valuable experience to the squad. The 32-year-old was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL title-winning team and recently impressed with an unbeaten 22 against Australia in Hobart to help India level the series 1-1.

According to a BCCI release, “The Senior Men’s Selection Committee has picked the India A squad for the Asian Cricket Council’s Rising Stars Asia Cup to be held in Qatar. The tournament will be played from 14th to 23rd November 2025 at the West End International Cricket Stadium in Doha.”

Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi is set to draw major attention again after becoming the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket with a 101-run knock for Rajasthan Royals earlier this year. He also hit a century in the Youth Test against Australia A in Brisbane last month.

Priyansh Arya’s consistent form earned him a well-deserved spot in the team after a string of strong performances for Punjab Kings in the IPL and a century in an unofficial ODI between India A and Australia A in Kanpur.

The squad also features promising left-arm pacer Gurjapneet Singh, who recently claimed a hat-trick for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy match against Nagaland.

Earlier known as the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, the Rising Stars Asia Cup was largely an Under-23 competition, but this year’s format allows teams to include a mix of young talents and experienced players.

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 PTI Inputs)