The Pakistan Shaheens’ likely 15-member squad for the upcoming Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 has been revealed, 24NewsHD TV reported on Tuesday.
Formerly known as the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, the tournament has been scheduled to take place in Qatar from November 14 to 23.
According to sources, Irfan Khan Niazi is expected to captain the side, which features an exciting mix of youth and talent, including Maaz Sadaqat, Arafat Minhas, Ubaid Shah, and Mohammad Salman.
The ACC Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 will feature eight teams — Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, and Hong Kong.
Group A includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong, while Group B comprises Pakistan, India, UAE, and Oman.
A highly anticipated Pakistan-India encounter is set for November 16, according to the ACC schedule.
Pakistan will begin their campaign against Oman on November 14, followed by a match against UAE on November 18. The semi-finals are scheduled for November 21, with the final to be played on November 23.
In this edition, Test-playing nations — Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan — will field their A teams, while UAE, Hong Kong, and Oman will participate with their senior squads.
Unlike the senior Asia Cup, which included a Super Four stage, this year’s Rising Stars event will follow a straight knockout format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals.
This setup could potentially produce two Pakistan-India clashes — one in the group stage and another in the final.
Afghanistan will enter the competition as defending champions, having defeated Sri Lanka in the final of the 2024 edition held in Al Amerat, Oman.
Pakistan’s likely squad for ACC Asia Cup Rising Stars:
Yasir Khan, Mohammad Naeem, Mohammad Faiq, Maaz Sadaqat, Ghazi Ghouri, Irfan Khan Niazi (c), Mohammad Shahzad, Saad Masood, Arafat Minhas, Mubasir Khan, Shahid Aziz, Sufiyan Muqeem, Ubaid Shah, Mohammad Salman, and Ahmed Daniyal.
ACC Asia Cup Rising Stars Championship 2025 schedule:
14 November 2025: Pakistan vs Oman
14 November 2025: India vs UAE
15 November 2025: Bangladesh vs Hong Kong
15 November 2025: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan
16 November 2025: UAE vs Oman
16 November 2025: India vs Pakistan
17 November 2025: Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong
17 November 2025: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan
18 November 2025: Pakistan vs UAE
18 November 2025: India vs Oman
19 November 2025: Afghanistan vs Hong Kong
19 November 2025: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh
21 November 2025: Semi-final 1 (A1 vs B2)
21 November 2025: Semi-final 2 (B1 vs A2)
23 November 2025: Final