India’s participation in the cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games could take an unexpected turn, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) considering sending a second-string squad to Japan if concerns about player facilities remain unaddressed. According to the news agency ANI, both the BCCI and the Asian Cricket Council are unhappy with the current arrangements for the cricket teams in Aichi-Nagoya.
The BCCI is expected to send an observer to Japan to assess the facilities before making a final decision on the composition of India’s squad. The Asian Games are scheduled to begin on September 19. The women’s T20 competition is slated for September 17 to 22, while the men’s tournament is scheduled from September 24 to October 3.
The BCCI source claimed that dressing rooms have been set up in tents, with washroom facilities located about 500 metres away. The size of the hotel rooms has also emerged as another concern for the Indian board.
“BCCI and ACC are not happy with the facilities and arrangements in Japan, and the board will send an observer there. The observer will submit its report to us, and if arrangements are not up to the mark, we could consider sending a B team there,” news agency ANI quoted a source as saying.
{{/usCountry}}“BCCI and ACC are not happy with the facilities and arrangements in Japan, and the board will send an observer there. The observer will submit its report to us, and if arrangements are not up to the mark, we could consider sending a B team there,” news agency ANI quoted a source as saying.
{{/usCountry}}“We told the Japan Olympics officials during the ACC in a meeting that the dressing rooms were set up in tents and washrooms were just 500 m away from those tents, which has created an unsatisfying situation for the players. Also, the hotel rooms are really small, and it is a big concern,” the source added.
India's squad
The possibility of India changing its plans would be significant given the strength of the squad originally announced for the men’s tournament. India had selected a strong T20I group featuring captain Shreyas Iyer, vice-captain Tilak Varma, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Axar Patel.
The squad also includes several of the most exciting young players in Indian cricket. Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are among the left-handed batting options, while Sanju Samson has been named as a wicketkeeper.
India head into the Asian Games as the defending champions in men’s cricket. At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, India won the gold medal after the final against Afghanistan was abandoned because of rain. India were awarded the title by virtue of their superior seeding.
India men’s T20I squad for Asian Games: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Jasprit Bumrah.