Ayush Badoni replaces injured Rajat Patidar in India A squad

Fans following the upcoming ACC Men's Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026 will see a reshaped India A leadership group in Doha, Qatar, after middle-order batter Rajat Patidar withdrew from the continental tournament to manage his existing physical ailments. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Sunday, November 8, that Ayush Badoni has been added to the 15-member squad as Patidar's replacement, while Rinku Singh has been promoted to vice-captain under the continuing leadership of captain Tilak Varma.

Patidar was initially named as Tilak's deputy when the squad was unveiled on November 2, but he subsequently communicated to the BCCI that he should not be considered for selection in the 50-over format while he handles his fitness concerns. The withdrawal comes just days before the tournament begins, altering the team's middle-order depth and depriving the squad of an experienced batter who has played three Tests and one ODI, alongside a List A record featuring 70 matches, 2,401 runs at an average of 37.51, four centuries, and 15 half-centuries. While the BCCI has not disclosed specific details of his current ailments, past injury setbacks included a left-knee issue during the domestic campaign in October 2025 and a finger injury during IPL 2025. Patidar is instead scheduled to take charge of Madhya Pradesh as captain in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy starting November 14.

Squad Shuffles and Domestic Form

The selection committee acted swiftly to fill the void left by Patidar's departure, elevating Rinku Singh from the ranks to serve as vice-captain and calling up Ayush Badoni. Patidar featured in Madhya Pradesh's most recent Ranji Trophy match against Vidarbha, while Rinku played for Uttar Pradesh against Baroda, and Badoni turned out for Delhi against Services. Badoni earned his spot following strong domestic performances, backed by a first-class record of 2,450 runs across 28 matches at an average of 61.25 with six centuries and 11 half-centuries, plus 732 runs in 30 List A matches.

The updated 15-member India A squad features 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, and Ayush Badoni. Fast bowler Harshit Rana will use the tournament to demonstrate his match fitness after previously being hindered by injury.

Tournament Schedule and Path Forward

The continental competition runs from November 19 to 29 in Doha, Qatar, with matches hosted at venues including the University of Doha for Science and Technology. The exact progression of fixtures for the tournament:

1. November 19: Opening match between Bangladesh A and Hong Kong China.
2. November 20: India A opens their Group B campaign against Nepal A.
3. November 22: India A faces arch-rivals Pakistan A in a high-profile fixture.
4. November 24: India A plays the United Arab Emirates A to complete the group stage.
5. November 26 and 27: Semi-finals contested by the top two teams from each group.
6. November 29: Tournament final.

That leaves the newly configured squad with minimal preparation time before they take the field against Nepal on November 20.