Tilak Varma to lead India A in Emerging Asia Cup
Tilak Varma has been appointed as the captain of India A for the upcoming Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup. The tournament will be held in Oman from October 18 to 27, 2024. India A will begin their campaign against Pakistan A on October 19. The squad also features players with international experience like Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Chahar, strengthening its core.
India A's squad features IPL stars
The batting lineup of India A features IPL stars like Lucknow Super Giants's Ayush Badoni, Kolkata Knight Riders's Ramandeep Singh, Punjab Kings's Prabhsimran Singh, Mumbai Indians's Nehal Wadhera, and Royal Challengers Bangalore's Anuj Rawat. The bowling unit features Gujarat Titans's R Sai Kishore, Hrithik Shokeen, Delhi Capitals's Rasikh Salam, Kolkata Knight Riders's Vaibhav Arora, and Aaqib Khan.
Allrounders Sindhu, Kamboj in India A's squad
Allrounders Nishant Sindhu and Anshul Kamboj have also been included in the India A squad. Sindhu was a member of India's title-winning team in the 2022 Under-19 World Cup, while Kamboj made a name for himself in the recent Duleep Trophy four-day matches. Their addition brings versatility to the team's overall composition.
Emerging Asia Cup's format change
Notably, this year's Emerging Asia Cup will be the first to be played in a T20 format. Previous editions were held in a 50-over format. India had won the inaugural tournament in 2013, while Pakistan has won the title in the last two editions. In 2023, Pakistan defeated India in the final to defend the title.