ACC unveils Rising Stars T20 schedule; India-Pakistan showdown on November 16

Doha, 1 November 2025:

Pakistan will face Oman in the opening match of the Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) Rising Stars T20 Tournament in Doha on November 14, with the marquee India-Pakistan clash scheduled for November 16, the organisers announced Friday.

The tournament, formerly known as the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup, will feature the ‘A’ teams of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, while Hong Kong, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates will field their senior sides.

Group ‘A’ includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka, while Group B features India, Oman, Pakistan and UAE. Two matches will be played each day from November 14 to 19, followed by the semi-finals on November 21 and the final on November 23.

The event marks the first meeting between the men’s teams of India and Pakistan since the senior Asia Cup in September. The two sides notably avoided traditional post-match handshakes during that tournament, which ended with India lifting the title but declining to receive the trophy from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Launched in 2013, the ACC Rising Stars (previously Emerging Teams) tournament has evolved from an Under-23 format to a contest between ‘A’ teams. Pakistan and Sri Lanka have each won the event twice, while India and Afghanistan have claimed one title each. Afghanistan are the defending champions, having defeated Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the 2024 final in Oman.

Tournament schedule:

Nov 14: Oman vs Pakistan; India vs UAE

Nov 15: Bangladesh vs Hong Kong; Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka

Nov 16: Oman vs UAE; India vs Pakistan

Nov 17: Hong Kong vs Sri Lanka; Afghanistan vs Bangladesh

Nov 18: Pakistan vs UAE; India vs Oman

Nov 19: Afghanistan vs Hong Kong; Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka

Nov 21: Semifinals, A1 vs B2; B1 vs A2

Nov 23: Final