New Delhi, 08 November (H.S.): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced changes to the India A squad for the upcoming ACC Rising Stars Asia Cup, with Rajat Patidar withdrawing from the tournament due to existing injury concerns. Ayush Badoni has been named as his replacement, while Rinku Singh has been appointed vice-captain.

In a statement on Sunday, the BCCI said Patidar had informed the board that he should not be considered for selection in the 50-over format as he continued to manage his existing injuries. Following his withdrawal, the men's selection committee included Badoni in the squad and handed Rinku the responsibility of vice-captaincy.

The 15-member India A squad will be led by Tilak Varma. The team also features Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prabhsimran Singh and Kumar Kushagra, along with Suryansh Shedge, Shahbaz Ahmed, Vipraj Nigam, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav and Arshad Khan.

India A have been placed in Group B alongside the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Nepal and Pakistan A. Group A comprises Bangladesh A, Sri Lanka A, Afghanistan A and Hong Kong. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled for November 26 and 27, while the final will be played on November 29.

The tournament will be held in Doha, Qatar, from November 19 to 29. India A will begin their campaign against Nepal on November 20, face Pakistan A on November 22 and take on the UAE on November 24.

Updated 15-member India A squad: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma (captain), Rinku Singh (vice-captain), Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper), Suryansh Shedge, Shahbaz Ahmed, Vipraj Nigam, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav, Arshad Khan and Ayush Badoni.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar