Media365
The upcoming Asia Cup Rising Stars Championship has sparked discussions about potential controversies, particularly regarding the trophy presentation and interactions between Indian and Pakistani teams.According to a report from Cricbuzz, India are yet to receive the Asia Cup trophy as it remains with Mohsin Naqvi. Team India, who won the continental event, awaits its formal presentation.
The tournament, now called the Asia Cup Rising Stars Championship, will include eight teams from the senior Asia Cup held in UAE last September – India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman, UAE, and Hong Kong.India and Pakistan have once again been placed in the same group for this competition.The five Test-playing Asian nations will field their A teams, while UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong will participate with their senior squads. The tournament will run from November 14 to 23 in Doha, Qatar, featuring 15 T20 format matches.India and Pakistan share their group with Oman and UAE. The second group comprises Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong, similar to the main Asia Cup structure.The tournament format excludes the Super Four stage. Teams can face each other twice at most – once in the group stage and potentially in the final. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, leading to the final on November 23.Afghanistan come in as the defending champion after beating India A and Sri Lanka A in the previous edition’s semifinals and final respectively at Al Amerat Stadium, Oman, in October 2024.The Indian team in the last edition included players like Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Chahar, Prabhsimran Singh, Sai Kishore, and Anshul Kamboj. Tilak Varma led the squad.The Indian team for this year’s Rising Stars event has been selected, with Vaibhav Suryavanshi among the chosen players. The BCCI will announce the complete squad in the coming days.An Under-19 Asia Cup is scheduled for December. While specific dates and location are pending confirmation, the 50-over format tournament is expected to take place in the Gulf region.Questions persist about whether Mohsin Naqvi will insist on personally presenting the trophies at both the Rising Stars and U-19 Asia Cup events.
