Pakistan Shaheens Squad for Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026: Abdul Samad Leads 15, India A on 22 November

The PCB named a 15-player Pakistan Shaheens squad on 3 November 2026 for the 50-over ACC Men's Asia Cup Rising Stars in Qatar, with Abdul Samad as captain. The tournament runs from 19 to 29 November. Pakistan Shaheens play the UAE on 20 November at 11 am PKT, India A on 22 November at 3 pm PKT and Nepal on 24 November at 3 pm PKT.

We read the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) release, dated Lahore, 3 November 2026, on the PCB website. Below are all 15 names with their roles, every fixture in Pakistan time, the group line-up, and what the Shaheens have won in this event before. Pakistan Shaheens are the defending champions.

Abdul Samad leads a 15-player Shaheens squad

Abdul Samad captains the Pakistan Shaheens squad for the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026. The squad has seven batters, a designated wicketkeeper, three spinners and four fast bowlers. Rohail Nazir is the only keeper named. Nobody is listed as vice-captain.

Ahmed Daniyal is the name fans will remember. The PCB calls him the Shaheens' super-over hero from the last edition. Muhammad Imran Randhawa took 3 for 11 against Sri Lanka in October, and our report on Randhawa's 3 for 11 has that spell.

Several of these players are busy right now. Shamyl Hussain captains Islamabad in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, and Rohail Nazir and Hasan Nawaz are in the same Islamabad roster. Danish Aziz plays for Karachi Blues. Farhan Yousuf captains Pakistan Under-19 at the Asia Cup in Oman, which ends on 14 November, five days before this tournament starts.

Shaheens play the UAE, India A and Nepal in Group B

Pakistan Shaheens are in Group B with India A, Nepal and the UAE. The opener is against the UAE on 20 November at 11 am PKT. India A follow on 22 November and Nepal on 24 November, both at 3 pm PKT.

Qatar is two hours behind Pakistan. So the 3 pm PKT start is 1 pm in Doha, and the 11 am PKT opener is 9 am in Doha. That conversion is ours. The PCB release gives the times in PKT only.

Group A has Afghanistan A, Bangladesh A, Hong Kong China and Sri Lanka A. The PCB release does not say how the semi-final pairs are drawn. In most ACC events the top two of each group cross over, but we could not confirm that for 2026, so treat it as unconfirmed.

The PCB release names two different grounds

The release text says the Shaheens' day-night games are at the "Eden Park International Stadium". The fixture list in the same release says "West End Park International Cricket Stadium" for every game after the opener. The two names do not match.

West End Park is the main international cricket ground in Doha. We think the fixture list is the one to trust, but that is our reading, not a PCB correction. If the PCB or the Asian Cricket Council issues a fixed version, we will update this page.

Here is what is consistent in both parts of the release:

• The first match, against the UAE, is a day game at the University of Doha ground.
• Every other Shaheens match is a day-night game.
• All knockout games start at 3 pm PKT.

Pakistan Shaheens are the defending champions

Pakistan Shaheens won the last edition of this event, played in T20 format, by beating Bangladesh A in a final that went to a super over. They also won the last 50-over edition, in Sri Lanka in 2023, by beating India A by 128 runs.

The results in this table come from the PCB release. The PCB does not give the year of the T20 edition in the release, so we leave it as "previous edition".

How to follow the Shaheens in Qatar

The PCB release does not name a broadcaster or a streaming app for this tournament. For senior Pakistan games, the usual options are PTV Sports, Tamasha, tapmad and the PCB Live app, and our guide to watching Pakistan cricket live on mobile compares them. Whether any of them carries the Rising Stars event is not confirmed.

To follow the Shaheens, use these steps:

1. Save the six dates above. All times are in PKT.
2. Check the PCB website on match day for the toss and the scorecard link.
3. Check the Asian Cricket Council website, which runs the tournament, for live scores.
4. Look for a broadcaster notice from the PCB or the ACC closer to 19 November.

The same month is packed. The senior side plays Sri Lanka in two Tests, the Under-19s are in Oman and the women's emerging team is in the UAE. Our Pakistan cricket schedule for November 2026 puts every match on one page.

Common questions

Who is the captain of Pakistan Shaheens for the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026?

Abdul Samad. The PCB named him captain on 3 November 2026. No vice-captain is named in the release.

When is Pakistan Shaheens vs India A?

On Sunday 22 November 2026 at 3 pm PKT, at West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha, per the PCB fixture list.

Where is the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 being played?

In Qatar, from 19 to 29 November 2026. Pakistan's opener is at the University of Doha for Science and Technology ground.

Is this tournament T20 or 50 overs?

It is 50 overs this time. The PCB calls it the 50-over edition of the ACC Men's Asia Cup Rising Stars.

Who is the wicketkeeper in the Shaheens squad?

Rohail Nazir is the designated wicketkeeper. He is the only keeper named in the 15.

When is the final?

On Sunday 29 November 2026 at 3 pm PKT. The semi-finals are on 26 and 27 November.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read the PCB release "Pakistan Shaheens squad announced for 50-over ACC Men's Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026", dated Lahore, 3 November 2026, on the PCB website on 4 November 2026. The squad, roles, groups, fixtures, PKT times and past results all come from that release. The ground name conflict is in the release itself. Doha times are our own conversion. We did not find a broadcaster notice or the semi-final pairing rule, so we do not state them.