India men's cricket squad delayed by kit shortfalls ahead of Nagoya trip
India's men's cricket team is due to leave New Delhi early on Sunday for the Asian Games in Nagoya, but several squad members remain without correctly sized official kits, prompting exchanges between the BCCI and JSW Inspire.
According to PTI, most sizing problems have now been resolved although a few players are still awaiting their kits; the Shreyas Iyer-led side will travel to Japan with two different sets of jerseys, using the regular team kit for the one-off T20I against Japan before switching to the official Asian Games jersey for the tournament knockout phase.
Two-time Asian Games shot-put champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor was replaced as one of India's flag-bearers after he could not travel to Nagoya from his training base in Tsukuba because he had not received his official Games kit; Pawan Sehrawat was named his replacement alongside Manu Bhaker.
The BCCI has arranged separate accommodation for the men's cricket team in Nagoya after concerns over the rooms allocated by the organisers, saying the provided accommodation did not have sufficient space to store the players' cricket kit bags and prompting the board to make its own arrangements.
India's women's team has remained in accommodation arranged through the IOA and progressed in the tournament, with Harmanpreet Kaur's side beating hosts Japan by eight wickets in the quarter-final on Friday; Shree Charani took four wickets and Shafali Verma finished an unbeaten 40 off 15 balls to chase 58 in five overs, sending India into the semi-finals against Bangladesh on September 20 and guaranteeing a medal.
The men's tournament begins on September 24 with the group stage featuring Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal in Group A and Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman in Group B; India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have received direct entry into the quarter-finals, with India set to meet the runners-up from Group A on September 28, the semi-finals scheduled for October 1 and the bronze-medal match and final on October 3, and India entering as defending men's champions after winning gold at the 2023 Asian Games.
Amid wider logistical concerns in Nagoya, officials say the immediate priority for the men's cricket team is to complete final kit deliveries before departure and then prepare for the confirmed one-off T20I against Japan on September 22 followed by their Asian Games quarter-final on September 28.
