Pakistan’s Muhammad Irfan Khan was on Friday named captain of a youthful squad for the men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament, set to be held in Doha later this month.
The selectors have opted for a largely new-look side, with only three players — Irfan, spinner Sufiyan Muqeem, and pacer Ahmed Daniyal — having featured for the senior national team.
The rest of the squad comprises promising talents who have impressed in the Under-19 setup, the Shaheens programme, domestic competitions, and the Pakistan Super League.
The tournament, featuring eight teams, will run from November 14 to 23, with another Pakistan–India clash on the cards.
Pakistan Shaheens is drawn in Group ‘B’ alongside Oman, India ‘A’, and UAE, while Group ‘A’ includes Afghanistan ‘A’, Bangladesh ‘A’, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka ‘A’.
The Shaheens will open their T20 campaign against Oman on November 14, followed by a much-anticipated fixture against India ‘A’ on November 16, before concluding their group stage against UAE on November 18.
Pakistan Shaheens 15-member squad
Muhammad Irfan Khan (c), Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Faiq, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Mohammad Naeem, Mohammad Salman, Mohammad Shahzad, Mubasir Khan, Saad Masood, Shahid Aziz, Sufiyan Moqim, Ubaid Shah and Yasir Khan
Published on Nov 07, 2025