Harshit Rana Included in India A Squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup

Return to Action: Fast bowler Harshit Rana has been included in the India A squad for the upcoming Rising Stars Asia Cup 50-over tournament in Doha. This marks his return after missing months of cricket due to injuries, having last played for the senior team in England in July.

Leadership Setup: Tilak Varma—fresh off a 3-2 T20I series victory over New Zealand—will captain the side, with IPL-winning skipper Rajat Patidar serving as vice-captain.

Squad Focus & Star-Studded Lineup

Testing T20 Stars in 50-Over Format: The selectors have included several high-profile T20 specialists to see how they adapt to the longer white-ball format. The squad features explosive batters like Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Rinku Singh, and Prabhsimran Singh.

Bowling & Depth: Rana will lead the pace attack alongside Prince Yadav and allrounder Suryansh Shedge. Head coach Gautam Gambhir values Rana's lower-order batting utility at No. 8 with an eye toward the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Spin Attack: The spin department features legspinner Vipraj Nigam, left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey (coming off a nine-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy), and Mumbai offspinner Tanush Kotian.

Tournament Schedule & Group Details

Dates & Venue: The tournament starts on November 19 in Doha, Qatar. Group Stage: India A is placed in Group B alongside the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, and Pakistan A. Key Fixture: India A is scheduled to face Pakistan A on November 22.

Knockouts: The top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals on November 26 and 27, with the final taking place on November 29.