The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will have to choose between using the official Games accommodation or arranging a separate setup at its own expense. The decision leaves the BCCI with a significant logistical call ahead of the men’s and women’s T20 competitions. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has made its position clear on the accommodation concerns surrounding India’s cricket teams at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi Nagoya, Japan. The IOA has refused to seek special arrangements for cricket, maintaining that the entire Indian contingent must receive equal treatment across all 36 sports.
Three reserve players, Rasikh Salam, Kartik Tyagi and Vicky Ostwal, will also travel with the Indian contingent, as confirmed by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia. If the official Games hotels do not satisfy the cricket board’s requirements, the BCCI can make independent arrangements. However, that would mean taking responsibility for accommodation, food and transport, while also ensuring that players reach their respective venues on time. “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. “It is for the BCCI and the organisers to work out the best solution. All sports, athletes, coaches and the entire delegation are treated equally by IOA. Official Hotels Raise BCCI Concerns 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. A separate stay could also create complications with anti-doping procedures. 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. India Men’s Cricket Squad 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. India Women’s Cricket Squad Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), G Kamalini (wk), Bharti Fulmali, Sree Charani, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil (subject to fitness), Radha Yadav, Nandni Sharma and Pratika Rawal.
Because of the players’ established preference for higher-end hotels, the stance means cricket will not receive separate accommodation simply. Because the cricket competitions will be staged at a newly built cricket ground in Nisshin at Korogi Sports Park, near Nagoya, the accommodation issue is particularly important. Any independent arrangement would therefore require coordination with the IOA and organisers rather than being a straightforward hotel change.
The 54 competition venues are spread across Nagoya city and Aichi prefecture, adding another layer of transportation planning for participating teams. India Defend Both Asian Games Titles 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.
Raghuram Iyer Explains IOA’s Position 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.
The BCCI has previously indicated that it is prepared to arrange its own facilities if required to provide suitable conditions for its players.
