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India A and Pakistan A have been drawn in the same group for the 2026 ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament, setting up a meeting between the sides on November 22 in Doha, Qatar. The competition is scheduled to run from November 19 to 29, with eight teams split into two groups and the top two from each group progressing to the semifinals.
The Asian Cricket Council’s schedule places India A and Pakistan A in Group B alongside Nepal and the United Arab Emirates. The November 22 fixture is set for the West End Park International Cricket Stadium, one of two venues being used for the tournament.
India A begin their campaign against Nepal on November 20, before facing Pakistan A two days later. Their final group fixture is against the UAE on November 24. The sequence gives India A three group matches in five days, making consistency across the opening round important for qualification.
Pakistan A are scheduled to open against the UAE on November 20 and then face India A on November 22. They will complete their group-stage programme against Nepal on November 24. Nepal and the UAE are also due to meet on November 22, meaning all four teams in Group B will have a chance to shape the standings across the same short window.
Group A comprises Sri Lanka A, Bangladesh A, Afghanistan A and Hong Kong, China. The teams play a single round-robin schedule within their groups, and the top two finishers from each section qualify for the knockout stage.
The tournament begins on November 19, with matches scheduled at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium and the University of Doha for Science and Technology ground. The two semifinals are planned for November 26 and 27, followed by the final on November 29.
The group-stage schedule means the India A-Pakistan A encounter is among the headline fixtures in the opening round. While the game is likely to attract attention because of the familiar rivalry between the countries, it is also a group match with direct implications for the teams’ path to the semifinals.
Pakistan A enter the competition as defending champions after winning the previous edition in Doha. They defeated Bangladesh A in a final decided by a Super Over, giving the team a title to defend as the tournament returns to Qatar.
The Rising Stars event is designed to showcase emerging talent from Asian cricket. Alongside the A teams from major cricket nations, the field includes Nepal, the UAE and Hong Kong, China. Coverage of the qualification process reports that those three associate sides earned places through the ACC Men’s Premier Cup in Malaysia earlier in 2026.
With four teams in each group and only two qualification places available, each group-stage result will matter. India A’s matches against Nepal and the UAE precede the final group game, while Pakistan A have the same opponents in a different order. The November 22 meeting could influence the group table, but neither side can rely on one result alone to secure progression.
Tournament coverage also notes that India A’s fixtures against Nepal and the UAE carry official List A status. That gives those matches a formal domestic-record classification beyond their place in the tournament schedule.
The first matches begin on November 19, and the group stage continues through November 24. The top two teams in each group then move to the semifinals on November 26 and 27, with the title match scheduled for November 29. Squads and individual player selections remain separate from the published fixture announcement, so the specific India A and Pakistan A line-ups should be confirmed closer to the event.
For now, the confirmed schedule sets up the India A-Pakistan A group clash for November 22 in Doha. The teams will first need to negotiate their opening fixtures, with their final group positions determining whether either side reaches the knockout rounds and has a chance to challenge for the championship.
