Rajat Patidar withdraws from India A squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup, Rinku Singh appointed vice-captain

Rajat Patidar has withdrawn from the India A squad for the upcoming ACC Men’s Rising Stars Asia Cup after informing the BCCI that he does not wish to be considered for selection in the 50-over format as the 33-year-old continues to manage his existing injuries.

The Men’s Selection Committee named Ayush Badoni as Patidar’s replacement in the 15-member squad, while Rinku Singh was appointed vice-captain of the side led by T20I vice-captain Tilak Varma.

Patidar, initially named vice-captain, informed the BCCI of his decision, after which the board announced the squad changes on Sunday.

The development comes as Patidar prepares to lead Madhya Pradesh in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scheduled to begin on November 14. Madhya Pradesh have been placed in Elite Group C and will play their first four matches in New Chandigarh before moving to Mohali for their remaining fixtures. Patidar is likely to feature in the domestic T20 competition.

The Rising Stars Asia Cup will be held in Doha, Qatar, from November 19 to 29. India A have been placed in Group B alongside Pakistan A, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

India A will begin their campaign against Nepal on November 20 at the West End Park International Stadium before facing Pakistan A at the same venue on November 22. They will conclude their group-stage fixtures against the UAE at the University of Doha for Science and Technology on November 24.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, scheduled for November 26 and 27, with the final on November 29.

India A’s updated squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prabhsimran Singh [WK], Tilak Varma [C], Rinku Singh [VC], Kumar Kushagra [WK], Suryansh Shedge, Shahbaz Ahmed, Vipraj Nigam, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav, Arshad Khan, Ayush Badoni