New Delhi, Jan 19 (NationPress) The Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament is set to take place in Bangkok, Thailand, from February 13-22, as announced by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) through their social media channels on Monday.

This tournament, organized in the T20 format, is designed to showcase the rising talents in women’s cricket from the ‘A’ teams of four full-member nations holding ODI status and four leading associate teams within the Asian region.

Initially planned to commence on June 6 in Sri Lanka last year, the event was delayed following a request from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva, citing adverse weather and health risks related to the chikungunya outbreak in the country.

According to the schedule released by the ACC, India ‘A’ will be competing in Group A with Pakistan ‘A’, UAE, and Nepal. Meanwhile, Bangladesh ‘A’, Sri Lanka ‘A’, Malaysia, and Bangladesh will form Group B. India’s campaign kicks off against UAE on February 13, followed by matches against Pakistan ‘A’ on February 15 and Nepal on February 17.

The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals on February 20, with the final scheduled for February 22. Reports suggest that the announcement of the India ‘A’ squad for this tournament will be made shortly.

The inaugural edition of this tournament took place in 2023 at the Mission Road Ground in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Notably, Thailand A had to withdraw just before the event due to visa complications and was replaced by Nepal.

The tournament faced significant disruptions due to heavy rainfall, resulting in the abandonment of seven out of twelve scheduled first-round matches, including one semi-final. Ultimately, India ‘A, led by Shweta Sehrawat, emerged victorious, defeating Bangladesh ‘A by 31 runs in the final.