The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that India will not send a second-string team to the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The clarification comes after a report from news agency ANI claimed that the board was considering a ‘B’ team because of concerns over the facilities available for international players.
India have selected full-strength men’s and women’s squads for the tournament. The teams will look to defend the gold medals they won at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
BCCI Reviews Facilities in Japan
According to NDTV, the BCCI will not change its decision to send the main squads. The board will still review the facilities through its observer, but the concerns raised over the arrangements will not stop India from taking part with its strongest available teams.
The men’s cricket competition will be played from September 24 to October 3. The women’s tournament is scheduled from September 17 to September 22 and will be held at Korogi Athletic Park.
Earlier, ANI had reported concerns from the BCCI and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) over the facilities at the venue. The boards had reportedly considered the possibility of sending a ‘B’ team if the arrangements did not meet the required standards.
“We told Japan Olympic officials during an ACC meeting that the dressing rooms were set up in tents and washrooms were 500 m away from those tents, which has created an unsatisfactory situation for the players. Also, the hotel rooms are really small, and it is a big concern,” an official said, as quoted by ANI.
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Concerns Over Korogi Athletic Park
Korogi Athletic Park was initially developed as a baseball facility before being converted into a cricket ground for the 2026 Asian Games. The venue does not have permanent dressing rooms, with temporary facilities being used for the tournament.
The ground can hold around 300 spectators and will feature a hybrid pitch made from natural grass and synthetic fibres. It has already hosted six matches in May 2026 during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifiers.
Strong Men’s Squad Named
India have received direct entry into the quarter-finals of the men’s competition. They will play the runner-up from Group A, which features Afghanistan, Nepal and Japan, in their first knockout game.
Shreyas Iyer will captain India’s men’s side, with Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain. The squad also includes Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. Sanju Samson has been picked as another wicketkeeping option.
The women’s team will be led by Harmanpreet Kaur. Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Varma and Renuka Thakur are among the senior players in the squad. India will aim to retain the women’s gold medal when the competition begins on September 17.
India won gold medals in both men’s and women’s cricket at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. The men’s final against Afghanistan was washed out, and India were awarded the gold medal because they had the higher seeding.
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