The recent suicide bombings in Delhi and Islamabad have cast a shadow on the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025, though it is being held in Doha, Qatar.
On November 10 in Delhi, a high-intensity explosion in a car in the heavily crowded Red Fort area killed 13 people and injured several others. A day later, a suicide bomber detonated himself outside a judicial complex in Islamabad, killing 12 and injuring several others, while in northern Pakistan's Wana area a terror attack on the Wana Cadet College was foiled by security forces. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the Islamabad attack.
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The attack in Islamabad has already impacted cricket in the country, with Sri Lankan players, who are in Pakistan for white-ball series, reportedly mulling over a pullout. Reports, however, said that the Sri Lankan cricket board has asked its players to stay put and continue with the three ODIs in Rawalpindi (Pakistan won the first one), followed by the T20 triangular series also involving Zimbabwe from November 17 to 29.
Security has been beefed up for the Lankan team, with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Federal Minister for Interior, assuring the team of fool-proof security, reports said.
In 2022, the New Zealand team cancelled a white ball series in Rawalpindi and returned home without playing a match after getting a tip-off about a possible terror attack targeting them. And, in 2009, terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan team bus close to the Gaddafi stadium, resulting in the closure of international cricket in Pakistan for nearly 10 years as other teams refused to visit the country due to security concerns.
The Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 tournament begins on November 14, with Pakistan A taking on Oman. The arch-rivals are set to clash on November 16.
Post the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, the recent Asia Cup saw the Indian and Pakistani players taking digs at each other on the field and the Men in Blue adopting a no-handshake policy and refusing to accept the winner’s trophy from Naqvi during the presentation. India are yet to get the trophy, with Naqvi taking it to the ACC headquarters.
The BCCI is yet to make any official announcement on India A’s participation in the tournament, though the internet is divided over whether India should be playing against Pakistan in the aftermath of the Delhi car bomb blast. No organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack, and India too has so far steered clear of accusing the neighbouring country of being involved in the incident.
Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 squads
India A:
Priyansh Arya, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Nehal Wadhera, Naman Dhir (vc), Suryansh Shedge, Jitesh Sharma (c) (wk), Ramandeep Singh, Harsh Dubey, Ashutosh Sharma, Yash Thakur, Gurjapneet Singh, Vijay Kumar Vyshak, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Abhisek Porel (wk), Suyash Sharma.
Pakistan A:
Irfan Khan (c), Yasir Khan, Muhammad Naeem, Muhammad Faiq, Maaz Sadaqat, Ghazi Ghori, Muhammad Shahzad, Saad Masood, Arafat Minhas, Mubasir Khan, Shahid Aziz, Sufyan Moqim, Ubaid Shah, Muhammad Salman, Ahmad Daniyal.