Why India’s Men Are Staying Outside The Asian Games Village

India's men's cricket team will stay in separate accommodation during the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, while the women's team will remain in facilities provided by the Games organisers.

The different arrangements are not linked to the teams being treated differently. The primary reason, according to BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, is the size of the men's travelling contingent and the number of support staff accompanying the team.

Why is the Indian men's team staying separately?

The Asian Games organisers have a limit of 20 members for the official accommodation provided to the cricket contingent.

India's men's setup exceeds that number because the squad is travelling with a larger support team, including coaches, trainers, analysts and physiotherapists.

Rather than splitting the group between the official facilities and another location, the BCCI opted to arrange separate accommodation for the entire men's contingent.

"BCCI has arranged its own arrangement for the men's team since the contingent is much bigger than the permissible number of members because of the size of the support staff. We don't want to segregate the men's team during the tournament," Saikia told The Times of India.

The Indian Olympic Association had earlier indicated that the BCCI could make its own arrangements if the official facilities did not meet the board's requirements. In that case, however, accommodation, food, transport and related logistics would be handled by the BCCI.

Why is the women's team staying in the official facilities?

The women's contingent falls within the organisers' permitted limit of 20 members.

As a result, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team can remain in the accommodation provided by the Asian Games organising committee rather than requiring a separate arrangement.

"The women's team is staying in the facilities provided by the organising committee since the size of the contingent is within the permissible number of 20 members," Saikia said.

The distinction, therefore, is primarily logistical: the men's group is larger because of its support staff, while the women's contingent fits within the official accommodation allocation.

Did the BCCI have concerns about the Asian Games facilities?

Accommodation and Games logistics have been a talking point in the build-up to Aichi-Nagoya, with reports of issues affecting athletes from different contingents.

The BCCI nevertheless said its decision to house the men separately should not be interpreted as a lack of faith in the organisers.

"We fully trust the organising committee to give the best facilities. This is a big event and I am sure they will do what is required," Saikia said.

The BCCI's separate arrangement also allows the entire men's group to remain together rather than dividing players and support staff across different locations.

Why is India sending its strongest men's team?

The accommodation decision comes alongside another significant change from the 2023 Asian Games.

India won the men's T20 gold at Hangzhou with a second-string squad, with the senior players being held back because the ODI World Cup was taking place shortly afterwards.

This time, India have opted for a full-strength men's side despite being in the build-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup. Shreyas Iyer leads a squad that includes Jasprit Bumrah and other established players.

Saikia said the BCCI views the Asian Games as a major assignment rather than a secondary competition.

"We are eyeing a gold medal which is very important," he said, adding that India has the depth to field three strong teams and that an Asian Games gold is "as important as any other big tournament."

India are defending champions in both men's and women's T20 cricket at the Asian Games. The women's side has already reached the gold-medal match after beating Bangladesh in the semifinal, while the men's tournament is scheduled to begin later in the Games.

The separate accommodation is therefore primarily a matter of numbers and logistics, rather than a sporting or status-based distinction between India's men's and women's teams.