Star Indian batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi will feature in the Asia Cup Rising Stars, according to a report in Cricbuzz, even as questions remain on whether Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi will play a part in the trophy presentation if India go on to win the tournament.
With another Asia Cup approaching, speculation abounds over whether this edition will bring yet another controversy, be it the trophy presentation or even the customary handshakes between India and Pakistan.
All eyes remain on Naqvi, who still retains possession of the trophy, while the Indian team, the rightful champions, continue to await its formal handover.
The tournament, formerly known as the Emerging Asia Cup, has been rebranded as the Asia Cup Rising Stars Championship.
All eight teams from last month’s main Asia Cup in the UAE, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman, the UAE and Hong Kong will compete again, with India and Pakistan once more drawn in the same group.
According to the report, the five Test-playing countries of Asia- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka- will send their A teams with the remaining three- UAE, Oman and Hong Kong, fielding their full strength teams.
The Asia Cup Rising Stars will be played in Doha, Qatar, from November 14 to Sunday, November 23. The 15-game event will be played in the T20 format.
Joining India and Pakistan in their group are Oman and the UAE, while the other pool comprises Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Hong Kong, mirroring the Asia Cup line-up.
The key difference this time is the absence of a Super Four stage, limiting the possibility of an India-Pakistan clash to a maximum of two. The top two sides from each group will progress to the semifinals, with the final all set for November 23.
In total, the Asia Cup Rising Stars will feature 15 games. According to the report, the team for this year’s tournament has been picked and youngsters like Suryavanshi have been selected for the 10-day event.
The team is expected to be announced by BCCI in a day or two.
