Asian Games: Indian men’s cricket team faces equipment delays ahead of trip to Nagoya

The Indian men’s cricket team is set to leave for the Asian Games early on Sunday, but some members of the team are still waiting for their official jerseys in the right size. The issue led to repeated communication between the BCCI and JSW Inspire, the supplier of the Indian Olympic Association’s kits.

According to PTI, most of the sizing issues have now been resolved, although a few players are still waiting for their sets. The Shreyas Iyer-led party is scheduled to leave New Delhi in the wee hours of Sunday as India prepares to kick off its Asian Games campaign in Nagoya.

The players will use two different kits during their time in Japan. India will wear their regular team kit for the one-off T20I against Japan on September 22 before switching to the official Asian Games kit for their campaign, which begins with the men’s quarter-finals on September 28.

Another Indian athlete has already been affected by a kite-related problem. Two-time Asian Games shot put champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor was replaced as one of India’s flag bearers at the opening ceremony after he was unable to travel to Nagoya from the Tsukuba training base as he had not received his official Games packet. Kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat has been named as his replacement alongside Manu Bhaker.

The development adds another layer to the concerns surrounding the Indian contingent, although the immediate problem of the cricket team is understood to be largely resolved.

BCCI FIXES GENTLEMEN’S STAY

The BCCI has also arranged for separate accommodation for the men’s cricket team in Nagoya following concerns over the rooms allocated by the organisers. The accommodation facilities for the players did not have enough space for their cricket kit bags, prompting the board to make its own arrangements.

Meanwhile, the women’s cricket team continues to stay in accommodation provided by the IOA.

The Indian women’s team has already made a good start to their title defence. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side beat Japan by eight wickets in the quarter-finals on Friday, with Shree Charani claiming four wickets before Shafali Verma smashed an unbeaten 40 off just 15 balls to help India chase down 58 in five overs.

The win sent India into the semi-finals, where they will face Bangladesh on September 20. A place in the last four also guarantees India a medal, with the bronze medal match and final scheduled for September 22.

The men’s tournament, meanwhile, begins on September 24 with a group stage featuring Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal in Group A and Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman in Group B. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have direct entry to the quarter-finals.

India will play the runners-up from Group A on September 28. If they advance, the semi-finals will be played on October 1, followed by the bronze medal match and the final on October 3. India is the defending men’s champion after winning gold at the 2023 Asian Games.

The problems with accommodation and equipment come against a backdrop of wider logistical concerns in Nagoya, where athletes from several contingents are facing delays and confusion over their arrangements.

However, the men’s cricket team’s immediate focus is on completing final kit deliveries before departure, before turning their attention to the T20I on September 22 against Japan before the Asian Games quarter-finals six days later.

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Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

September 19, 2026 12:12 PM IST