28, 2025. (AP File Photo) India’s and Pakistan’s fans carry their national flags as they wait for the Asia Cup cricket final between India and Pakistan to begin at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept.
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. 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. In the 2025 edition, Jitesh Sharma captained India A, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also part of the squad.
Each team will play the other three sides in its group in a single round-robin format. Teams generally field their ‘A’ sides in the Rising Asia Cup. The West End Park International Cricket Stadium will host most of the tournament’s matches, including the final.
After being bowled out for 136, they watched Pakistan chase down the target in just 13.2 overs. India A recovered with a six-wicket win over Oman in their final group-stage match, reaching the target with 13 balls to spare. However, India A lost their next match against Pakistan A by eight wickets.
The victory secured their place in the semi-finals, where they faced Bangladesh A.