Rajat Patidar has withdrawn from India's squad for the ACC Rising Stars Asia Cup 2026 after informing the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he needs to manage his existing injuries. The development has prompted the selectors to bring in Ayush Badoni as his replacement, while Rinku Singh has been handed the vice-captaincy.

Rajag Patidar's withdrawal comes just days before the tournament begins in Doha, Qatar. The batter was initially named Tilak Varma's deputy in the India A squad, but will now focus on managing his fitness. He is also set to lead Madhya Pradesh in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which begins on November 14.

Rajat Patidar requests BCCI to remove him from India A squad, Ayush Badoni named replacement

The BCCI confirmed that Patidar had communicated his decision to the board and requested that he not be considered for selection in the 50-over format while managing his existing injuries. The selection committee subsequently withdrew him from the India A squad for the Rising Stars Asia Cup and included Delhi batter Ayush Badoni in his place.

Rinku Singh, who was part of the original squad, has been promoted to vice-captain. Rajat Patidar's absence means India A will lose an experienced middle-order option for the competition, which will feature several promising players from the country.

Rajat Patidar has played three Tests and one ODI for India, but has built a much larger reputation through domestic cricket and the IPL. His List A record includes 70 matches and 68 innings, in which he has scored 2,401 runs at an average of 37.51 and a strike rate of 98.48. He has registered four centuries and 15 half-centuries, with a highest score of 158. His record also includes 241 boundaries and 55 sixes.

India's updated squad for Rising Stars Asia Cup

India A squad: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Tilak Varma (c), Rinku Singh (vc), Kumar Kushagra (wk), Suryansh Shedge, Shahbaz Ahmed, Vipraj Nigam, Harsh Dubey, Tanush Kotian, Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav, Arshad Khan, Ayush Badoni.

Rajat Patidar to lead Madhya Pradesh in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026

Patidar will take charge of Madhya Pradesh in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with the state side placed in Elite Group C.

The team will begin its campaign against Kerala in a day-night fixture at New Chandigarh on November 14. Its next opponents are Assam on November 16, Tripura on November 18 and Andhra on November 20.

Madhya Pradesh will then move to Mohali for their remaining three league matches. They are scheduled to face Maharashtra on November 22, Himachal Pradesh on November 24 and Puducherry on November 26.

The squad also features batters Akshat Raghuwanshi, Harsh Gawli and Aniket Verma, while Avesh Khan will lead the pace attack. Saransh Jain, Kumar Kartikeya Singh and Shivang Kumar add spin options. Gawli and Apoorv Dwivedi are the two wicketkeeping choices.

Madhav Tiwari has not found a place in the squad despite his IPL appearances for Delhi Capitals in 2026. Pacer Kuldeep Sen is also absent as he is currently nursing an injury.