The Indian men's cricket team is preparing to fly out to Japan in the early hours of Sunday, September 20, 2026, for the Asian Games 2026, but a kit sizing dispute between the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Indian Olympic Association's supplier JSW Inspire has created a last-minute concern for the squad captained by Shreyas Iyer.
The issue stems from players requiring two separate jerseys for the tour — one for the standalone bilateral T20I against Japan on September 22 and another
for the official Asian Games competition beginning September 28. A source close to the development confirmed that the majority of the sizing problems have been addressed, with the remaining kits set to reach the players before departure.
"There was a sizing issue in kits of cricketers, majority of them have been rectified. There are a few left and they will be delivered to the team shortly. With players needing two different jerseys there (one for bilateral and another for Asian Games), this can happen," an IOA source said as quoted by NDTV Sports.
What is the accommodation arrangement for the Indian cricket teams?
The 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, does not have a dedicated Games Village. Athletes across disciplines have been housed on cruise ships, in container accommodations and in hotels in the city, an arrangement that has caused delays and inconvenience for several Indian contingents travelling to the Games.
The BCCI stepped in to secure its own hotel arrangements for the men's team after the rooms provided by the organisers were found to be wholly inadequate for a cricket squad travelling with large volumes of equipment. The Indian women's cricket team, whose tournament runs from September 17 to 22, is using the IOA-provided accommodation without reported difficulty.
"The women's team accommodation was never an issue. The rooms provided by the organisers for the men's team did not even have space to keep the kit bags. There are not many big hotels there but the BCCI has managed to make its own arrangement shortly before their departure to Japan," a source said.
When does India's men's cricket campaign begin at Asian Games 2026?
The men's cricket tournament at the Asian Games 2026 runs from September 24 to October 3 at Kōrogi Sports Park in Aichi, Japan. Ten teams are competing across the tournament, with India seeded directly into the quarter-finals alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, meaning the four top-ranked sides bypass the group stage entirely.
Iyer's side open their Asian Games campaign on September 28 against the runners-up from Group A. Before that knockout assignment, the squad will feature in a standalone T20I against Japan on September 22, which will serve as a useful warm-up ahead of the quarter-final rounds.
The Indian women's team is already in action at the Games. Having arrived ahead of the men's contingent, they defeated Japan by eight wickets in their quarter-final on September 18, 2026, and their tournament is scheduled to conclude by September 22.
