Leaked photo of bed at Japan Asian Games accommodation raises concerns for India cricket
On August 30, 2026 a photograph purporting to show the sleeping arrangements for India’s cricketers at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, circulated widely on social media and intensified scrutiny of the team’s preparations.
Cricket is listed as a major attraction at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and India’s men enter as defending champions after winning the gold at the 2022 Hangzhou Games; the BCCI had named a 15-member squad that included Shreyas Iyer, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Some reports have suggested the BCCI may change its plans amid concerns over accommodation and other arrangements. The story was reported by Subhomoy Datta, who has been a sports writer since 2022 and holds a BSc in Microbiology from Rastraguru Surendranath College, WBSU, and is currently pursuing his master’s at NIT Surathkal.
India’s preparations were recently overshadowed by complaints about the facilities that were raised by several full member nations in front of the Asian Cricket Council, prompting the ACC to ask representatives from all boards to assess the accommodations before making a final decision. Those formal assessments were requested amid reports that room sizes may be inadequate for cricket squads carrying bulky equipment.
A photograph of a single bed at the accommodation was shared by journalist Nitin K Srivastava, who described it as the bed likely to be provided to the cricketers in the Asian Games accommodation facility; he posted: "So this is the bed at the Japan Asian games accommodation facility.Photo credit Getty pic.twitter.com/Uvz3clvlkg". The image attracted immediate attention on social media and added to the ongoing controversy.
The picture appears to support earlier reports claiming rooms would be too small to accommodate two cricketers because kit bags alone would not fit, and one source cited by India Today revealed that "opening a kit bag would leave very little room for a player to move." The size and layout of rooms have been central to the complaints made to the ACC.
Reporters noted that cramped sleeping quarters would be less problematic for athletes in individual sports such as badminton or for team sports that carry lighter kits, like football, but are a major concern for cricketers who carry bulky equipment specific to each player. That distinction underpins the objections lodged by several boards.
There have been earlier reports that the BCCI is considering sending a second-string squad if facilities are judged unsuitable, and, "now, looking at these conditions, this seems the most likely outcome," according to the coverage. The Indian men’s cricket team has won 1 gold medal in the Asian Games, which came at the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games (held in 2023), and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named in India’s 15-member men’s T20I squad for the 2026 Asian Games.
The final decision on participation and any change to squad selection remains subject to the assessments carried out by the participating boards and their representatives, who were asked by the ACC to inspect the facilities before boards make their determinations.