The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) men’s selection committee announced India’s 15-member squad for the 2026 Asian Games on Saturday.
India Squad For Asian Games – Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma
(VC), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah
Here's a look at #TeamIndia's squad for the Asian Games 2026 in Japan this September 👏#AsianGames pic.twitter.com/euMfmhWEcN
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 6, 2026
Vaibhav Poised For History?
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has also been selcted for the two T20Is in Ireland followed by a five-match series in England. At 15 years old, he could become the youngest player ever to represent the Indian men’s team. If given a debut, Sooryavanshi would surpass Sachin Tendulkar, who made his international debut in 1989 at 16 years and 205 days.
Bumrah Plays!
India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has also been included in the squad for the Asian Games, although he has been rested for the T20I series against Ireland and England, scheduled for June and July.
Why Shreyas As Captain?
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar weighed in on Suryakumar Yadav being replaced by Shreyas Iyer.
“Shreyas was quite close to getting into that T20 World Cup squad. It was a tough call on Suryakumar Yadav, but you need to reassess your plan moving forward. Shreyas is a well-derserving captain. He is a standout candidate with enough experience,” Agarkar said at the press conference in Mumbai.
Cricket At Asian Games
India had won gold at the 2023 Asian Games, under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad.
The Asian Games men’s cricket competition is scheduled to take place from September 24 to October 3, 2026, creating a direct overlap with India’s home white-ball series against the West Indies. India are set to host the Caribbean side for three ODIs and five T20Is between September 27 and October 17, but selectors have named India’s strongest squad for the continental quadrennial sports meet.
Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Oman have joined Asian Full Members Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who earned automatic berths, along with hosts Japan.
In the qualifying tournament, Nepal and Malaysia advanced from Group A, while Hong Kong and Oman emerged as the top two teams from Group B to secure their places.
The men’s cricket competition at the 20th Asian Games will feature 10 teams and will run from September 24, with the gold-medal match scheduled for October 3.
(With inputs from Agencies)
