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The Indian National Cricket Team is facing a unique challenge before flying to Japan for the 2026 Asian Games. The women's cricket matches have already started, while the men's contest is yet to begin after the women's segment concludes.
Ahead of the tournament, the Indian cricket team is facing an issue with their jerseys. Like the previous edition of the Asian Games, this time too, the men's Indian cricket team will wear an exclusively designed kit during the tournament. Ahead of the main event, the team will don their standard T20 International format jersey during their one-off match against the Japan national cricket team.
Indian cricket team facing issues related to their 2026 Asian Games jerseys
Quoting an official of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), news agency PTI reported that the team had faced an issue related to the size of their jerseys. There are a few jerseys that are yet to be handed over to the team. As in Japan, India will wear two different jerseys, one for the Japan match and another for the Asian Games; the size issues are believed to be for that reason.
The Shreyas Iyer-led team is scheduled to take their flight on Sunday; the new jerseys with the rectified sizes, according to the cricketers, are expected to be delivered to the team by the kit manufacturer. The issue is between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian Olympic Association's kit supplier, JSW Inspire.
"There was a sizing issue in kits of cricketers; the 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 told PTI.
Issues with men's cricket teams' accommodations as well
Weeks ago, it was reported that BCCI was not happy with the accommodations for the cricketers in the Asian Games. Instead of a dedicated games village for all of the athletes, this time the Asian Games organizers arranged some hotel rooms, containers, and cruise ships. The hotel rooms were reportedly so small that there was not enough space to keep a cricket kit bag.
A source informed the news agency that BCCI has resolved the issues with their own before the departure of the team. The issue was only with the men's cricket teams, not with the women's teams.
BCCI made efforts to arrange hotels for the Men's Indian cricket team in Japan
The source claimed that as there were very few big hotel were available, the board had to do some hard work to confirm suitable places for their men's cricket team.
"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, but the BCCI has managed to make its arrangements shortly before their departure to Japan," said a source.
