India’s cricketers will not receive five-star hotel accommodation at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India has assured that the arrangements in Nagoya are adequate and that players will be comfortable.
BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla addressed the concerns on Tuesday, confirming that a limited supply of top-rated hotels in Nagoya had prompted questions about where the Indian cricket teams would be housed during the Games. The BCCI vice-president also explained why the team would not be based in a larger city.
“Whatever they are providing, we are staying there and we are keeping a watch what kind of accommodation is being given so that our players are comfortable. Definitely those are not of five-star but a good accommodation,” Shukla said as quoted by Outlook.
“Whatever has been offered to our cricketers, that accommodation we have got the photographs all the way and the videos also of that, so I think it’s comfortable. They will be going and staying there because otherwise the options were to make them stay in Osaka or Tokyo that’s far away,” he added.
Why did India settle on Nagoya rather than Tokyo or Osaka?
Nagoya’s limited hotel stock left the BCCI with few alternatives. Both Tokyo and Osaka are reachable by bullet train but the journey from either city to the Games venue takes roughly one and a half hours, making daily travel impractical for a competing squad. Shukla made clear that keeping all participating nations together in the host city was also a factor in the decision.
“The problem was that Nagoya hasn’t got many hotels. Tokyo is one and a half hour by bullet train, so is Osaka. But in the Asian Games, all the participants are like families, it doesn’t look nice that some teams stay in Tokyo and some in Osaka,” Shukla said.
What else has the BCCI been monitoring ahead of the campaign?
The accommodation plan is being coordinated among the Indian Olympic Association, the Asian Games Organising Committee and the Japan Cricket Association. Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha also confirmed that the matter had been resolved. Organisers had put forward several options for athletes, including a ship and small villas, alongside hotel rooms.
Beyond accommodation, the BCCI’s primary concern centred on the playing facilities. The board wanted assurances about the condition of the cricket ground, the wicket and the dressing rooms before clearing the squad to travel. The Asian Cricket Council sent an inspection team to Nagoya, and Shukla confirmed the visit had produced satisfactory results.
“The big issue was the ground, wicket and dressing rooms. They have addressed those things. Asian Cricket Council’s team had gone there and now they are satisfied with the ground, the wickets and dressing rooms, everything is fine,” Shukla said.
India’s cricket contingent is scheduled to depart for Tokyo on September 20. The team will play a T20 match against Japan on September 22 before the Asian Games cricket campaign gets under way on September 28. India enter the tournament as defending champions in both the men’s and women’s events, having won gold at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Shukla also dismissed reports that India would field a weakened side. “We sending our B team is complete rumour. Our full contingent is going with the most talented players and I hope that we’ll definitely win,” he said.
