India, Pakistan concerned over pitch at Asian Games 2026

An untested surface has been laid out recently for the Asian Games, and that hasn’t satisfied the cricket boards of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Some of the continent’s top cricketers will be in action as the teams eye gold in the lead-up to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

For the Indian side, some of the stars of the game, such as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, captain Shreyas Iyer, and Arshdeep Singh, will be there, while it will be the same scenario for the other notable players of the different boards.

Why boards are worried about the 'makeshift' facility

Reports in The Indian Express revealed that the PCB initially flagged concern during a meeting with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). It was agreed that the Asian Cricket Council would send its representatives to inspect the venue and the facilities, including the dressing rooms.

“It is a very rudimentary ground, and there remains a question mark over the quality of the pitch. It has been laid very recently and, apart from one tournament, that too in May, hasn’t been tested much. There are no proper dressing rooms as well.” The reports addressed.

After the feedback in the meeting, it has been noted that the BCCI approached the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Organizing Committee of the Asian Games.

“Since we do not have any role in the technical aspects of a sport, we have advised the BCCI to consult the Organising Committee.” The IOA official informed.

The ground, with the temporary stand holding 2000 people, has a hybrid pitch square, mostly of natural grass with a small portion of fibres being inserted into the pitch. The boards have raised concerns over the players’ accommodation, which is roughly 20km from the venue.

It has been noted that the Indian cricket teams will fly to Nagoya around September 14, with the women’s competition beginning on September 17.

From September 17 to October 3 — Here's the full Asian Games 2026 cricket schedule

The men’s competition is comprised of two groups, along with the four seeded sides, which have been decided on the ICC T20I rankings and have qualified for the knockout stage. The blue brigade is in the group with Japan, Bangladesh, and the People’s Republic of China in the women’s event, while Pakistan is alongside Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Thailand in the second group.

The women’s games of the Asian Games 2026 will start on September 17 with the clash between China and Bangladesh, while the blue brigade will be up against Japan on September 18. India’s men’s side will be in action on September 28.

India men’s squad for Asian Games 2026-

Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakravarthy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

India women’s squad for Asian Games 2026-

Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Gunalan Kamalini (wicket-keeper), Bharti Fulmali, Sree Charani, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil (subject to fitness), Radha Yadav, Nandni Sharma.