Rajat Patidar has opted out of the upcoming Rising Stars Asia Cup one-day tournament, citing the need to address “existing injuries,” and has requested not to be considered for selection in the 50-over format. Consequently, Ayush Badoni has been brought into the India A squad to fill Patidar’s place.
With Patidar sidelined, Rinku Singh has been appointed as the vice-captain to lead alongside Tilak Varma for the tournament scheduled between 19th and 29th November in Doha, Qatar.
Badoni has displayed impressive form recently in the Ranji Trophy, turning heads with consecutive double-centuries for Delhi against Gujarat and Jharkhand. He stands as the second lead scorer in the tournament, amassing 559 runs across six innings.
Conversely, Patidar has been active too, participating in three Ranji Trophy matches for Madhya Pradesh this season and securing two centuries. Earlier, he had shown promise with two half-centuries in three competitive appearances for India A against Australia A in October.
This tournament will also see the return of Harshit Rana, a promising 24-year-old fast-bowling allrounder, who has been absent from the pitch since the senior team’s tour of England in July.
Supporting him are talents like Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prabhsimran Singh, and Rinku, blending a mix of T20 prowess. Upon returning from their stint in New Zealand with the India A red-ball team, Tilak and Kumar Kushagra will reconnect with the squad.
Rana will bolster the fast-bowling unit with key players such as Prince Yadav, Arshad Khan, and versatile Suryansh Shedge. On the spin front, India A has a strong lineup with Harsh Dubey, Vipraj Nigam, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Tanush Kotian.
Placed in Group B alongside UAE, Nepal, and Pakistan A, India A aims to proceed to the semi-finals on 26th and 27th November. The finals are slated for the 29th November, with a significant match against Pakistan A on 22nd November.
India A Squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup:
Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Tilak Varma (capt), Rinku Singh (vice-capt), Kumar Kushagra (wk), Suryansh Shedge, Shahbaz Ahmed, Vipraj Nigam, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav, Arshad Khan, Ayush Badoni
