Abhishek to open below Tilak’s captaincy, no place for CSK all-rounder

We are just two days away from witnessing the first-ever Men’s Emerging Asia Cup in T20 format. For those unaware, it is a tournament, organised by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in order to provide youngsters with a high-quality platform to compete against Asia’s best young talents. In this 8-team competition, the India A team will be led by Tilak Varma. The talented southpaw will be deputed by another superstar in Abhishek Sharma.

India ‘A’ most favourite to win Emerging Asia Cup?

Pakistan A and Sri Lanka A both teams have some note-worthy individuals. However, the Indian A squad is power-packed with T20 talent. The key highlight of their 15-member squad is the choices for all-rounders. The team has as many as six all-rounders, not including Sai Kishore’s batting abilities. None of the senior team regulars like Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad or Shreyas Iyer got a gig (despite ACC relaxing the age bar from the tournament).

Despite this, the Indian A side boasts a proper squad, filled with immense potential. Someone like Nishant Sindhu, Aaqib Khan, and Rasikh Salam, who all might miss out in the first XI, are all as talented as anyone—it just goes to show the strength that Indian cricket as a whole possesses. This depth in talent not only highlights the competitiveness in the team but also sets a solid foundation for future success. On that note, let us look at the probable playing XI of India ‘A’ in the Emerging Asia Cup T20 2024.

Probable India A Playing XI

1. Prabhsimran Singh (wk)
2. Tilak Varma (C)
3. Ayush Badoni
4. Nehal Wadhera
5. Hrithik Shokeen
6. Ramandeep Singh
7. Sai Kishore
8. Anshul Kamboj
9. Rahul Chahar
10. Vaibhav Arora

The focus of the tournament, the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match (India A’s opener), will take place on October 19 at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground Oman Cricket (Ministry Turf 1) in Oman. In the previous edition’s final, Pakistan A beat India A by 128 runs.