India A and Pakistan A drawn in same group for Rising Asia Cup, set to clash November 22 in Doha

India A and Pakistan A placed in same group

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has announced the schedule for the 2026 Rising Asia Cup in Doha, with India A and Pakistan A drawn in the same group alongside Nepal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The two sides will face each other on November 22 at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium.

India A will open their campaign against Nepal on November 20 before taking on Pakistan A two days later. They will play their final group-stage match against the UAE on November 24.

Groups and format

Eight teams have been divided into two groups for the tournament. Group A features Sri Lanka A, Bangladesh A, Afghanistan A and Hong Kong, China, while Group B comprises India A, Pakistan A, Nepal and the UAE. Each team will play the other three sides in its group in a single round-robin format.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, scheduled for November 26 and 27. The final will be played on November 29.

Venues

The West End Park International Cricket Stadium will host most of the tournament's matches, including the final. The remaining games will be played at the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST) Cricket Ground, which will host the opening match on November 19.

How India A fared in the 2025 Rising Asia Cup

Teams generally field their 'A' sides in the Rising Asia Cup. In the 2025 edition, Jitesh Sharma captained India A, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also part of the squad.

India A began their 2025 campaign with a 148-run win over the UAE in Doha, scoring 297/4 in 20 overs before restricting the UAE to 149/7. They then lost to Pakistan A by eight wickets after being bowled out for 136, with Pakistan chasing down the target in 13.2 overs. India A recovered with a six-wicket win over Oman to reach the semi-finals.

In the semi-final against Bangladesh A, both sides scored 194/6 in 20 overs, forcing a Super Over. Bangladesh won the tie-breaker to knock India A out. Pakistan A went on to beat Sri Lanka A by five runs in the second semi-final. The final against Bangladesh A also ended in a tie at 125 each, and Pakistan A won the Super Over to lift the trophy.