The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has clarified its stance regarding accommodation arrangements for India’s cricket teams at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi Nagoya, Japan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) must now decide whether to utilize the official Games accommodation or to establish a separate setup at its own expense.
The IOA has stated that it will not seek special provisions for cricket, emphasizing that all athletes in the Indian contingent, representing 36 sports, should receive equal treatment. This decision presents a significant logistical challenge for the BCCI as it prepares for the upcoming men’s and women’s T20 competitions.
India will arrive at the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games as defending champions in both the men’s and women’s cricket competitions, following their success at Hangzhou 2022. The women’s tournament is scheduled to begin on September 17, while the men’s competition will start a week later. The 2026 Asian Games are scheduled to take place in Aichi Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.
IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer said the BCCI has already been in discussions with the Olympic body and could send an advance team to assess the facilities before making a final decision. “BCCI CEO Hemang Amin got in touch with us (IOA), and we had a fruitful discussion. They are contemplating sending an advance team to Japan to assess the facilities. The IOA is completely fine with that. Based on their assessment, they can decide whether they want to use the organisers’ facilities or make their own arrangements. Iyer stressed that the final call rests with the BCCI and the tournament organisers, while the IOA will continue to apply the same standards to athletes and officials across the Indian delegation. The organisers have allotted the three-star APA Hotel Nagoya Ekimae for the Indian men’s team and the four-star Meitetsu Grand Hotel for the women’s side. Both arrangements involve twin-sharing rooms. Those facilities are below the five-star accommodation Indian cricketers generally use on international assignments. Reports have indicated that the BCCI has concerns about room sizes as well as the broader logistical arrangements. The board will ultimately have to weigh those requirements against the additional responsibilities and logistical obligations that come with operating outside the official Games accommodation. BCCI named Shreyas Iyer as captain and Tilak Varma as vice captain for the Asian Games. The squad includes Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The BCCI has previously indicated that it is prepared to arrange its own facilities if required to provide suitable conditions for its players.
