The Indian men’s cricket team has encountered a last-minute logistical issue ahead of its departure for the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Several players were reportedly still waiting for correctly sized official kits shortly before the team was scheduled to leave New Delhi. The issue has involved communication between the BCCI and JSW Inspire, the Indian Olympic Association’s kit supplier.
The problem, however, is understood to be largely under control, with most of the sizing issues already resolved and the remaining kits expected to reach the players shortly.
Why Did Team India Face a Jersey Issue?
The delay is linked to the requirement for players to use two different sets of jerseys during their Japan campaign. The Indian team will wear its regular cricket kit for the one-off T20I against Japan on September 22 before switching to the official Asian Games jersey for the tournament.
An Indian Olympic Association source said most of the sizing problems had already been corrected, while a few remaining kits were still being delivered to the squad.
The Shreyas Iyer-led Indian side is scheduled to leave for Japan ahead of the Asian Games, where India has received direct entry into the men's cricket quarter-finals.
BCCI Makes Separate Hotel Arrangements
The jersey issue is not the only logistical challenge surrounding the Indian men's cricket team.
The BCCI has reportedly arranged separate accommodation for the men's squad in Nagoya after concerns were raised about the rooms allocated through the Games organisers. According to reports, the assigned rooms did not provide sufficient space for players to store their large cricket kit bags.
The Indian women's cricket team, meanwhile, has continued with accommodation arranged through the Indian Olympic Association.
The decision by the BCCI to make its own arrangements comes amid wider reports of accommodation and logistical difficulties affecting athletes participating in the Asian Games.
India Will Wear Different Jerseys in Japan
Cricket fans may notice that Team India will not wear its familiar regular international jersey throughout the Asian Games campaign.
The team will first play Japan on September 22 in its standard cricket kit. Once the Asian Games competition begins, the players will switch to the official event jersey supplied under the Indian Olympic Association's arrangements.
This difference is because the Asian Games operate under the wider Olympic sporting framework rather than the usual BCCI-controlled international cricket calendar.
When Does India’s Asian Games Campaign Begin?
India's men's cricket team will begin its Asian Games campaign with the quarter-finals on September 28. The tournament's men's group-stage matches begin earlier, while India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have direct entry into the quarter-final stage.
India are also the defending men's champions after winning the gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games.
The immediate priority for the Indian camp is now to complete the remaining kit deliveries and finalise travel arrangements before the squad heads to Japan.
Despite the last-minute jersey and accommodation issues, the Indian team will be looking to shift its attention quickly from logistics to cricket, with the Japan T20I followed by the Asian Games knockout campaign.
