The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) expressed strong dissatisfaction over player facilities arranged for the upcoming 2026 Asian Games in Japan. Issues regarding tent-based dressing rooms, washrooms located 500 meters away, and cramped hotel rooms prompted the board to deploy a special observer to inspect the Aichi-Nagoya venues. If the facilities fail to meet required professional standards, the BCCI may field a backup ‘B’ team instead of its main squad.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) alongside the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) flagged several infrastructure deficiencies at the Asian Games venues in Japan. Official complaints highlight temporary tent arrangements used as team dressing rooms, with player washroom facilities situated 500 meters away from the main pavilion area. Additionally, official hotel rooms assigned to athletes are reported to be extremely small with insufficient space for kit bags, while cricket pitches adapted from former baseball grounds lack adequate international testing.

BCCI decides to send ‘B’ team:

The BCCI is dispatching a dedicated official observer to Japan to conduct an on-site inspection of the match grounds, practice nets, medical infrastructure, and team accommodations. The observer will compile a detailed feasibility report for the board. If the conditions fail to meet the required safety and comfort benchmarks for senior international athletes, the board reserves the option to send a secondary ‘B’ team to represent India at the tournament.

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The 2026 Asian Games take place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with the women’s cricket tournament scheduled from September 17 to September 22 and the men’s event running from September 24 to October 3. India initially named full-strength T20 squads led by Shreyas Iyer for the men’s team and Harmanpreet Kaur for the women’s team, aiming to defend the gold medals won at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.