India and Pakistan are set to face off on the cricket field not once but twice in November. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will field their ‘A’ teams, while Nepal, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Hong Kong China are likely to enter with their best squads. the schedule for the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026 has just been announced While the U19 Asia Cup 2026 is set to begin on November 5. The tournament will begin in Doha, Qatar, on November 19, with the final to be held on November 29.
India A have been placed alongside Pakistan A, Nepal and UAE in Group B of the Asia Cup Rising Stars men’s tournament. The top two teams in each group will qualify. If India and Pakistan both qualify and win their respective semi-finals, they could face off in the final too. That came in the inaugural edition. With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) set to send an A-side to the tournament, it will be interesting to see which second-string Indian players make the cut.
India A will begin their campaign against Nepal on November 20. The highly-anticipated clash against Pakistan A will be on November 22. India’s group will end with their match against UAE on November 24. Held in the T20 format since 2013 (then as the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup), India have won the tournament just once in seven attempts.
