India’s men’s cricket team have received their correctly sized Asian Games kits, resolving the apparel issue that had emerged ahead of their departure for Japan. The team will wear its regular BCCI jersey for the September 22 T20I against Japan before switching to the official Asian Games kit for the rest of the tournament.
The sizing problem had led to back-and-forth between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and JSW Inspire, the Indian Olympic Association’s official kit supplier. Several members of Shreyas Iyer’s squad were awaiting properly sized apparel, raising concerns about whether the team would have its tournament kit in time.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has said that the matter has now been sorted.
“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,” a source in the ministry told ANI.
The September 22 fixture is a standalone international and is not part of the Asian Games competition. India will therefore use its regular international kit before changing into the Asian Games apparel once its medal campaign begins.
The Japan fixture will be played at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture and will mark the first men’s international between the two teams. The match is part of celebrations around the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Japan and the broader “Sport 75” initiative.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, in an earlier statement, had said the fixture would also help take Indian cricket to a new audience.
“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.
India will then begin its Asian Games title defence, having won gold in Hangzhou in 2023.
