The 2023 edition of the ACC Emerging Teams men’s Asia Cup saw India A lose to Pakistan Shaheens in the final. Ten years ago, an U23 India team defeated a Pakistan unit to win the first ever edition of the tournament.

The List A competition was a pathway for several future international stars. Among the Pakistan camp was the celebrated pairing of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, opening partners even back then. Afghanistan had a full-fledged unit in Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi and Mohammad Shahzad, among others.

The Bangladesh U23 side featured Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar (who also played the 2023 edition), and Sabbir Rahman. Sri Lanka, too, had Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis, and a few other contemporary players. Nepal, Singapore (hosts) and UAE also featured their teams.

Since then, the Emerging Asia Cup has removed the lid on age restrictions, but continues to be a pathway for fringe cricketers to develop in a multi-team competition. From the team that beat Pakistan in the final, four went on to play for the national side, excluding two others in the reserves. Here’s the XI:

KL Rahul (vice-captain)

One of the most popular names on this list, Rahul progressed to open for India in all three formats, making his debut three years later. He has had highs and lows as a Test opener, rediscovered himself as a middle-order batter in ODIs, led India, and turned into one of IPL’s most consistent batters, and also captained India.

Unmukt Chand

One of Indian cricket’s biggest what-if stories, Unmukt could not ride on the wave of his U19 World Cup 2012 success and popularity as skipper. He led the Delhi state team, played in the IPL (infamously dismissed for a duck by Brett Lee on debut), and was an India A regular. In 2021, he moved to the USA, became the first Indian man to play in the BBL, and is currently playing in the MLC.

Manprit Juneja

Juneja had a fantastic start to his domestic career, scoring an unbeaten double century on first-class debut. By 2013, he made his IPL debut, but the stint was short and uneventful. Soon after the Emerging Cup, Juneja featured in India A. Most famously, he was part of Gujarat’s historic triumph in the 2016/17 Ranji Trophy. In 2022, he retired from all forms of cricket.

Suryakumar Yadav (captain)

A blockbuster name now, ‘SKY’ was still several years away from an India call-up back then. He emerged as one of Mumbai’s most exciting young talents, becoming the state captain by 2014. He took the long road, but debuted at 30 for India as a T20 phenom in 2021, and has since progressed to become the vice-captain of the T20I team, and the No.1 ranked batter in the world.

Ankit Bawne

A technically proficient batter, Bawne scored domestic runs by the bucketload between 2012 and 2017. He also went on to the lead India A – while he’s come close, a senior call-up is yet to materialise. He played just one IPL game, in 2017, but continues to feature for Maharashtra in domestic cricket, and recently played in the Dhaka Premier Division in Bangladesh.

Ashok Menaria

A former U19 World Cup skipper (2010), all-rounder Menaria went on to become a Rajasthan Royals regular between 2011 and 2013 while also featuring in the India A side, and has had multiple stints at the Dhaka Premier Division. This season, he moved from Haryana to Rajasthan, having led the side for the last three years.

Baba Aparajith

One-half of the cricketing twins from Tamil Nadu, Baba – still in his 20s – made his first-class debut at 17, and went on to feature in the 2012 U19 World Cup. Over the years, he has become a key figure in Tamil Nadu’s batting and developed into a useful off-spinner, progressing to India A levels as well. Despite contracts, he hasn’t played in the IPL, although he has dabbled in commentary during the tournament, while continuing his domestic career.

Smit Patel (wicketkeeper)

An U19 World Cup winner in 2012, wicketkeeper Smit spent considerable time in the shadows of Parthiv Patel at Gujarat, eventually moving to Baroda. In 2021, he decided to quit Indian cricket entirely and settle in the US, where he now plays in the MLC and aims to qualify for the US national team.

Axar Patel

The more famous of the two Patels, Axar graduated to the Indian team within a year’s time, and also became a consistent IPL presence. A second coming, since 2021, has brought more success with the senior team. Now a regular in limited-over formats, Axar is and the next spin all-rounder in line behind Ravindra Jadeja in Tests.

Sandeep Sharma

Part of the U19 World Cup in 2010, Sandeep evolved into a potent swing bowler and an IPL regular in the first half of the decade. It led to an India call-up in 2015, but Sandeep was sidelined after just two T20Is. He recently switched from Punjab to Chandigarh in domestic cricket, and returned to the limelight with a memorable 2023 IPL season, most notably as a death bowler.

Sandeep Warrier

Warrier spent several years as Kerala’s workhorse before his domestic performances translated into an IPL game. He’s played four of those in all, between 2019 and 2021, shifting domestic teams from Kerala to Tamil Nadu in the interim. In 2021, his domestic toil was rewarded with an India cap, but he’s yet to add any more to his solitary appearance in a T20I in Sri Lanka.

Rest of the squad

Jasprit Bumrah was part of the squad but did not play the final. His IPL debut, the year after, was the start of an incredible rise that saw him debut for India in 2016. He evolved into the spearhead of the Indian bowling attack, and one of the finest all-format quicks in the world. Currently out of the side due to injury, he’s expected to return ahead of the ODI World Cup.

Harshal Patel, an U19 World Cup 2010 member, spent several years at Haryana and Gujarat honing his skills. An IPL regular, he had a breakthrough season in 2021, which translated to an India cap soon after. He’s played 25 T20Is since.

Prashant Chopra, Himachal Pradesh’s batting mainstay for years, is known for his attacking style, which was on show at the 2012 U19 World Cup, where he partnered with Unmukt at the top of the order. He’s had multiple stints with Rajasthan Royals since 2018, although he’s played just one IPL game.

Kaustubh Pawar grew up through age-group cricket in Mumbai, and had become a Ranji opener by the time he featured in the Emerging Asia Cup. He played first-class cricket for Mumbai until 2016, and is currently a coach.