India's participation at the 2026 Asian Games could look markedly different from the strong squad initially announced by the BCCI, with the board considering a second-string team after concerns over facilities and accommodation in Japan.
The Asian Games begin on September 19 in Aichi-Nagoya, with the men's cricket tournament scheduled from September 24 to October 3 and the women's competition from September 17 to 22. India were initially set to field a formidable group, including Shreyas Iyer, Jasprit Bumrah, Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan. But dissatisfaction over the arrangements could now force the BCCI to reconsider how much of its first-choice contingent it sends.
The issue is not currently about player availability or selection.
It is about whether the conditions awaiting the teams in Japan meet the standards expected by the BCCI and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
Why is India considering a B team?
According to a BCCI source cited by ANI, both the BCCI and ACC have concerns about the facilities and arrangements made for participating teams.
The board is expected to send an observer to Japan to inspect the venue and accommodation before a final decision is taken on the composition of India's squad.
"If arrangements are not up to the mark, we could consider sending a B team there," the source said.
That means India's participation itself is not in doubt at this stage. Rather, the strength of the squad could change depending on the observer's report.
The concerns reportedly extend to both the cricket venue and the accommodation provided for players.
Dressing rooms in tents, washrooms 500 metres away
The most striking concern relates to the facilities at the cricket venue.
According to the BCCI source, dressing rooms have been established in tents, while the washrooms are approximately 500 metres away.
"We told 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," the source said.
Accommodation is another issue.
The source claimed hotel rooms allocated to teams are particularly small, describing them as a "big concern" for players and officials.
The BCCI and ACC will therefore assess whether the arrangements are adequate before deciding whether India's strongest players should travel to the tournament.
What was India's original Asian Games squad?
The BCCI had initially selected a strong men's T20I squad, with several established internationals included.
India men's T20I squad: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Jasprit Bumrah.
The presence of Bumrah in particular made the original selection notable. The fast bowler remains one of India's most important players across formats, while Iyer was named captain for the campaign.
The squad also included emerging names such as 17-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi alongside established T20 players.
India's women's squad was similarly packed with leading names, including captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Varma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh and Renuka Thakur.
Whether the concerns over facilities affect the women's squad in the same way will depend on the BCCI's eventual assessment.
India are defending Asian Games champions
The potential decision to send a second-string side comes despite India entering the competition as defending champions.
Cricket returned to the Asian Games at Hangzhou in 2023 after being absent from the 2018 edition. India won gold in both the men's and women's competitions.
The men's final against Afghanistan was washed out, with India awarded the gold medal because they had been the higher-seeded team.
India will therefore arrive in Japan as one of the leading contenders and with a strong incentive to retain their title.
A significantly weakened squad, however, would alter the complexion of the campaign.
Why the decision matters
The Asian Games occupy an unusual position in India's sporting calendar.
For cricket, the tournament is not simply another bilateral T20 assignment. It is a multi-sport event where cricket contributes to India's overall medal tally, making the strength of the squad strategically significant.
At the same time, the tournament falls into an increasingly crowded international calendar.
The BCCI therefore has to balance two competing priorities: sending a team capable of defending India's title while also deciding whether its biggest names should be exposed to facilities that the board considers inadequate.
For now, there is no final decision to withdraw the initially selected stars. The next step is the inspection in Japan.
If the report finds that the concerns can be addressed, India could still field the squad originally announced.
If they cannot, the Asian Games could instead become an opportunity for India's wider T20 pool to step up, with the likes of Bumrah and Iyer potentially staying behind.
