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Cricket PlayersIndia to wear BCCI jersey for historic Japan T20I as Asian Games kit issue finally gets resolved
India's Asian Games kit issue has been resolved while Shreyas Iyer's will wear the regular BCCI jersey for the historic T20I against Japan on September 22.
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India’s men’s cricket team will wear its regular BCCI jersey for the historic T20 International against Japan on September 22, before switching to the official Indian contingent kit for its Asian Games campaign, after a sizing issue involving the tournament apparel was resolved.
The clarification came from a Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports source on Saturday, hours after concerns emerged that several members of Shreyas Iyer’s squad were still awaiting correctly sized Asian Games clothing ahead of their departure for Japan. The issue had prompted repeated communication between the BCCI and JSW Inspire, the Indian Olympic Association’s official kit supplier.
“Team India will wear the BCCI jersey for the match against Japan. The team has received its Asian Games kit for the rest of the tournament, and the issue has been resolved,” the MYAS source told ANI.
Deep Dive
Importantly, India’s decision to use the BCCI jersey against Japan is unrelated to the difficulties surrounding the Asian Games kit. The Suzuki Cup is a standalone bilateral international rather than part of the continental competition, meaning India will appear in their usual international colours before moving into the Games apparel once their medal campaign begins.
“The team will play the match against Japan in their normal kit as the match doesn't belong to the Asian Games; it's a friendly match. But for the rest of the tournament, the size issue has been resolved, and they have received their kit for the tournament,” the source added.
Historic Japan fixture before Asian Games defence
The September 22 contest at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture will be the first men’s international between India and Japan. It has been positioned as the opening sporting event in the celebrations leading into the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and forms part of the broader “Sport 75” initiative.
For Japan, the occasion represents a rare opportunity to measure themselves against one of cricket’s established powers before their own Asian Games campaign. For India, it provides competitive preparation immediately before they begin the defence of the gold medal won at Hangzhou in 2023.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia described the fixture as an opportunity to push cricket into relatively unexplored territory for the Indian team.
“The BCCI is delighted to be part of this historic occasion as the Indian and Japanese men's teams come together for a special T20 International in Japan. This is a significant moment for cricket, as it takes the Indian team to new territory and provides an opportunity to introduce the sport to a wider audience in Japan and East Asia,” Saikia said.
There is also the intriguing possibility that the teams could meet again within six days. Japan have been drawn alongside Afghanistan and Nepal in Group A of the Asian Games men’s competition, while defending champions India enter directly in the quarter-finals on September 28 against the team finishing second in that group.
India are captained by Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma his deputy, while the squad also contains Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh and teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The corrected Asian Games apparel means the immediate logistical concern surrounding the side has now been addressed before the squad begins its two-stage assignment in Japan.
