The organisational troubles around India’s Asian Games 2026 campaign continue to grow, as after athletes who have landed in Aichi-Nagoya faced accommodation issues, the Indian men’s cricket team is dealing with a kit delay ahead of its departure for Japan.
The Shreyas Iyer-led side is scheduled to leave New Delhi in the early hours of Sunday, but some members of the squad are still awaiting correctly sized official kits. The issue has led to repeated communication between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and JSW Inspire, the IOA’s kit supplier. Most of the sizing problems have been resolved, with only a few players still waiting for their kits.
India team needs two sets of kits
The sizing problem has emerged partly because the Indian players require two different sets of jerseys during their stay in Japan.
The team will wear its regular India kit for the one-off T20I against Japan on September 22 before switching to the official Asian Games jersey for the men’s competition.
India’s campaign at the Games begins with the quarter-finals on September 28, giving the squad less than a week between the T20I and its opening Asian Games match.
BCCI changes accommodation plan
The kit issue is not the only logistical concern involving the men’s cricket team. The BCCI has now made separate accommodation arrangements for the men’s squad in Nagoya after concerns over the rooms allocated through the Games’ organisers. According to a media report from news agency PTI, the rooms provided to the men’s team did not have sufficient space even to keep the players’ cricket kit bags.
The move represents a change from the position outlined by BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla earlier this month. On September 8, Shukla had said the cricketers would stay in the designated accommodation arranged by the Asian Games organisers. He said the BCCI had reviewed photographs and videos of the rooms and considered them comfortable, although they were not five-star properties.
At the time, Shukla said Nagoya’s limited supply of top-rated hotels was a major factor behind the decision. The board had also considered accommodation in Tokyo and Osaka, but both were around one-and-a-half hours away by bullet train.
The original plan was for the cricketers to stay in designated hotels in Nagoya, with players receiving individual rooms rather than twin-sharing accommodation.
The latest decision means the men’s and women’s cricket teams will have different accommodation arrangements. The women’s team continues to stay in accommodation arranged through the IOA.
Playing facilities had also raised concerns
Accommodation was not the only issue previously discussed by the BCCI. Shukla had said earlier that the board’s bigger concern was the quality of the cricket facilities, particularly the ground, wickets and dressing rooms. An Asian Cricket Council team inspected the facilities and, according to Shukla, was satisfied with the arrangements.
The cricket teams are also entering a Games environment where accommodation arrangements have come under wider scrutiny. Aichi-Nagoya does not have a conventional Athletes’ Village, with participants being housed across hotels, temporary accommodation and a cruise ship. Several contingents have reported issues involving room allocations, cramped spaces and transport.
India’s Chef de Mission Sahdev Yadav has also acknowledged an accommodation shortage affecting the Indian contingent, with additional rooms having to be arranged after the number of rooms available to the delegation was reduced.
Women’s team already through to semi-finals
While the men’s side is still completing its preparations, India’s women’s team has already secured a medal in Nagoya.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s side defeated hosts Japan by eight wickets in the quarter-final on Friday. Shree Charani claimed four wickets before Shafali Verma smashed an unbeaten 40 off 15 balls to help India chase down 58 in five overs.
India will face Bangladesh in the semi-final on September 20. The bronze-medal match and final are scheduled for September 22.
Men’s campaign begins with quarter-final
The men’s cricket competition begins with the group stage on September 24. Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal are in Group A, while Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman form Group B.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have received direct entry into the quarter-finals. India will face the runners-up from Group A on September 28.
The semi-finals are scheduled for October 1, followed by the bronze-medal match and final on October 3.
India are the defending men’s champions, having won gold at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
For the Shreyas Iyer-led side, the immediate priority is to complete the remaining kit deliveries before Sunday’s departure. The team will then play Japan in the September 22 T20I before turning its attention to the Asian Games quarter-final six days later.
