India A vs Pakistan Shaheens, Rising Stars 2026: 22 November Time in Pakistan, Venue and Both Squads
India A vs Pakistan Shaheens in the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 is on 22 November in Doha at 11 am PKT. Both 15-player squads, Group B fixtures and past finals.
Short answer: India A play Pakistan Shaheens in the ACC Men's Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 on Sunday 22 November at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha, Qatar. The Asian Cricket Council lists an 11 am PKT start. It is a 50-over Group B match. Tilak Varma captains India A and Abdul Samad leads the Shaheens, who are the defending champions.
It is the second group game for both sides. India A open against Nepal and the Shaheens against the UAE on Friday 20 November. With only the top two of each four-team group going through to the semi-finals, Sunday's game will likely decide who tops Group B.
India A vs Pakistan Shaheens is on Sunday 22 November in Doha
The match is on Sunday 22 November 2026 at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha. The ACC match centre lists every Rising Stars game at 11 am PKT, which is 9 am in Qatar. The PCB's squad release gave 3 pm PKT for this game.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Match | India A vs Pakistan Shaheens, Group B |
| Tournament | ACC Men's Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 |
| Format | 50 overs a side |
| Date | Sunday 22 November 2026 |
| Time | 11 am PKT on the ACC match centre (PCB release: 3 pm PKT) |
| Venue | West End Park International Cricket Stadium, Doha |
| India A captain | Tilak Varma |
| Pakistan Shaheens captain | Abdul Samad |
Qatar is two hours behind Pakistan. If the start time changes, the ACC match centre is the place that will show it first. Every game in the event is listed on the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 schedule with groups and grounds.
India A have Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma
The BCCI named a 15-player India A squad on 2 November 2026 with Tilak Varma as captain. On 8 November Rajat Patidar withdrew to manage injuries in the 50-over format. Rinku Singh became vice-captain and Ayush Badoni took Patidar's place.
| India A player | Note from the BCCI list |
|---|---|
| Tilak Varma | Captain |
| Rinku Singh | Vice-captain (from 8 November) |
| Abhishek Sharma | |
| Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | |
| Prabhsimran Singh | Wicketkeeper |
| Kumar Kushagra | Wicketkeeper |
| Suryansh Shedge | |
| Shahbaz Ahmed | |
| Vipraj Nigam | |
| Harsh Dubey | |
| Tanush Kotian | |
| Harshit Rana | |
| Prince Yadav | |
| Arshad Khan | |
| Ayush Badoni | Replaced Rajat Patidar |
The list has two wicketkeepers, Prabhsimran Singh and Kumar Kushagra, and a pace group of Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav and Arshad Khan. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma are the openers to watch. Spin options include Vipraj Nigam, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian and Shahbaz Ahmed.
Pakistan Shaheens are led by Abdul Samad and defend their title
The PCB named a 15-player Shaheens squad on 3 November with Abdul Samad as captain. It has seven batters, one wicketkeeper, three spinners and four fast bowlers. Mohammad Hasnain leads the pace attack. Pakistan won this event in 2025 and also in 2019 and 2023.
| Pakistan Shaheens player | Role as the PCB lists it |
|---|---|
| Abdul Samad | Captain, batter |
| Hasan Nawaz | Batter |
| Maaz Sadaqat | Batter |
| Haider Ali | Batter |
| Shahzaib Khan | Batter |
| Farhan Yousuf | Batter |
| Shamyl Hussain | Batter |
| Rohail Nazir | Wicketkeeper |
| Danish Aziz | Left-arm spin bowling all-rounder |
| Saad Masood | Leg-spinner |
| Sufyan Moqim | Spinner |
| Mohammad Hasnain | Fast bowler |
| Ahmed Daniyal | Fast bowler |
| Akif Javed | Left-arm fast bowler |
| Muhammad Imran Randhawa | Fast bowler |
Farhan Yousuf comes straight from captaining Pakistan U19 at the Asia Cup in Oman, which ended with the one-wicket defeat to India U19 in the final on 14 November. The full squad story, with each player's role and the full fixture list, is in the Pakistan Shaheens squad announcement.
The top two in Group B reach the semi-finals
Group B has India A, Pakistan Shaheens, Nepal and the UAE. Each team plays the other three once, and the top two go through to the semi-finals. The ACC match centre lists both semi-finals on 26 November, A1 vs B2 and B1 vs A2, while the BCCI and PCB releases give 26 and 27 November. The final is on Sunday 29 November in Doha.
| Date | Group B match | Ground |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 20 November | Pakistan Shaheens vs UAE | University of Doha for Science and Technology |
| Friday 20 November | India A vs Nepal | West End Park |
| Sunday 22 November | UAE vs Nepal | University of Doha for Science and Technology |
| Sunday 22 November | India A vs Pakistan Shaheens | West End Park |
| Tuesday 24 November | India A vs UAE | University of Doha for Science and Technology |
| Tuesday 24 November | Pakistan Shaheens vs Nepal | West End Park |
Here is the path for the Shaheens:
- Beat the UAE on 20 November to start with 2 points.
- Play India A on 22 November, where a win would put them in charge of the group.
- Finish against Nepal on 24 November.
- Semi-final against a Group A side if they finish in the top two.
- Final on 29 November.
Pakistan beat India A by 128 runs in the 2023 final
The last time this event was a 50-over tournament, in Sri Lanka in 2023, Pakistan A beat India A by 128 runs in the final. India won the first edition in 2013, beating Pakistan in the final in Singapore. Pakistan have three titles in all, the most recent in Qatar in 2025.
| Year | Host | Champion | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Singapore | India | Pakistan |
| 2019 | Bangladesh | Pakistan | Bangladesh |
| 2023 | Sri Lanka | Pakistan | India |
| 2025 | Qatar | Pakistan | Bangladesh |
Those finals are history now. Both squads this year are new, and the group game on 22 November is the first meeting of the two sides in this edition. A second meeting can only come in the final on 29 November, because the semi-finals pair teams from different groups.
Common questions
When is India A vs Pakistan Shaheens in the Rising Stars 2026?
Sunday 22 November 2026 at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
What time does India A vs Pakistan Shaheens start in Pakistan?
The ACC match centre lists 11 am PKT. The PCB's squad release had given 3 pm PKT, so check the ACC listing on the day.
Who is India A's captain?
Tilak Varma. Rinku Singh is vice-captain after Rajat Patidar withdrew on 8 November.
Who is Pakistan Shaheens' captain?
Abdul Samad leads the 15-player Shaheens squad named by the PCB on 3 November 2026.
Is the Rising Stars 2026 a T20 or a 50-over event?
A 50-over event. The 2024 and 2025 editions were played as T20s.
Is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi playing?
Yes. He is in the BCCI's India A squad, both in the first list and in the updated list of 8 November.
How we verified this
What we checked and where we read it.
We checked the India A squad, the withdrawal of Rajat Patidar and India A's three fixtures in two BCCI media advisories, dated 2 and 8 November 2026, on 15 November 2026. Match dates, grounds and the 11 am PKT start come from the ACC match centre, which we checked again on 15 November. The Pakistan Shaheens squad, roles and the 3 pm PKT time come from the PCB release of 3 November. The BCCI calls the Pakistan side "Pakistan A"; the PCB calls it Pakistan Shaheens. Past finals come from the tournament's results records.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
