Rajat Patidar opts out of Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026

Rajat Patidar has opted out of the 2026 Rising Stars Asia Cup 50-over tournament due to ongoing injury concerns. Patidar informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he "should not be considered for selection in the 50-over format as he manages his existing injuries."

The BCCI has named Delhi captain Ayush Badoni as Patidar's replacement. Badoni is in exceptional red-ball form, having scored twin double-centuries in consecutive matches. He struck a superb 217 against Gujarat at the Arun Jaitley Stadium before following it up with an unbeaten 210 against Jharkhand at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. Badoni is currently the second-highest run-scorer in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, with 559 runs from six innings at an average of 111.80.

Patidar was also the vice-captain of the side. Following his withdrawal, Rinku Singh has been appointed deputy to skipper Tilak Varma. The Rising Stars Asia Cup presents an opportunity for several of India's T20 specialists to strengthen their credentials in the 50-over format.

Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Prabhsimran Singh are among the prominent names in the star-studded squad for the marquee tournament. India are placed in Group B alongside the UAE, Nepal and Pakistan Shaheens. They will open their campaign against Nepal at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha on November 20.

Group A comprises Bangladesh A, Sri Lanka A, Afghanistan A and Hong Kong, China. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals, with the final scheduled to be played on November 29.

India A squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup

Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Tilak Varma (captain), Rinku Singh (vice-captain), Kumar Kushagra (wk), Suryansh Shedge, Shahbaz Ahmed, Vipraj Nigam, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav, Arshad Khan, Ayush Badoni.