Asian Games 2026: BCCI May Arrange Separate Hotels for Indian Cricketers; Board to Bear Full Logistics

The BCCI is considering separate accommodation for India’s cricket teams at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games if the official Games hotels do not meet the board’s requirements, but doing so would mean taking complete responsibility for the players’ stay and logistics.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has made it clear that it will not seek separate accommodation from the Asian Games organisers specifically for cricket. Instead, the BCCI and the Organising Committee will have to find a solution that works for the Indian cricket teams.

IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer said the BCCI is free to assess the official accommodation and make its own arrangements if necessary, but the responsibility for those arrangements would then rest entirely with the cricket board.

BCCI Sending Advance Team to Japan

BCCI CEO Hemang Amin has already contacted the IOA regarding the accommodation issue. According to Iyer, the two sides had a productive discussion, and the BCCI is planning to send an advance team to Japan to inspect the facilities.

The team is expected to assess the designated hotels, cricket venue and other logistical arrangements before the BCCI makes a final decision.

The IOA has no objection to the inspection and will allow the BCCI to decide whether the official Games accommodation is suitable or whether the board needs to make separate arrangements.

Iyer stressed that the IOA’s responsibility extends across the entire Indian contingent competing in 36 sports, meaning cricket cannot be given preferential treatment over other athletes.

Where Will India’s Cricket Teams Stay?

For now, the Aichi-Nagoya Games organisers have assigned accommodation to both Indian cricket teams.

The men’s team, led by Shreyas Iyer, has reportedly been allocated the three-star APA Hotel Nagoya Ekimae.

The women’s team, captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, has been allotted the four-star Meitetsu Grand Hotel.

Both hotels are understood to provide the required facilities, but they are below the five-star standard that India’s cricketers are generally accustomed to.

Another concern is that rooms at the Games hotels will be provided on a twin-sharing basis.

That could become one of the key issues the BCCI considers before deciding whether to accept the official arrangements.

Women’s Team Faces the First Test

The women’s team will be the first to face the logistical challenge.

Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates are scheduled to return from the Asia Cup in Dubai on September 13 before travelling to Nagoya the following day.

India’s women’s cricket campaign at the Asian Games begins directly in the quarterfinals on September 18, with the tournament scheduled to finish on September 22.

The relatively short gap between the Asia Cup and the Asian Games makes accommodation, recovery and travel arrangements particularly important.

Men’s Team Arrives Later

The men’s team has a different schedule.

Shreyas Iyer’s side is expected to travel to Japan on September 21, with India’s Asian Games campaign beginning in the quarterfinal stage on September 28.

The men’s tournament is scheduled to conclude on October 4, after which the team will return to India.

Because the two teams arrive at different times, the BCCI is assessing the accommodation question separately from a practical and logistical perspective.

What Happens If BCCI Chooses Its Own Hotels?

If the BCCI decides that the official Games accommodation is unsuitable and chooses separate hotels, the board would have to take care of the entire operation.

That would include:

• Hotel rooms and accommodation


• Food and dietary requirements


• Local transportation


• Travel between the hotel and cricket venue


• Ensuring players reach the venue well before matches


• Other day-to-day logistical requirements

However, staying outside the official Games hotels would not take the cricketers outside the Asian Games system.

The BCCI would communicate its decision through the IOA to the organisers, while Games- security, accreditation and access rules would continue to apply.

People without valid accreditation would not be allowed to enter the team’s accommodation.

Anti-Doping Procedures Will Also Apply

Separate accommodation would also require coordination on anti-doping procedures.

The relevant authorities, including the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Testing Agency (ITA), would need to know where the players are staying so that random testing can continue without disruption.

Therefore, a decision to move the teams to private accommodation would involve considerably more than simply booking different hotels.

Accommodation Pressure in Aichi-Nagoya

The situation is also complicated by the broader accommodation demand surrounding the Asian Games.

The number of athletes and coaches expected in Aichi-Nagoya has reportedly risen to around 17,000, compared with an original planning figure of approximately 15,000.

To cope with the additional demand, organisers are supplementing conventional hotels with mobile accommodation and the Costa Serena cruise ship.

Against this backdrop, finding suitable alternative accommodation for two Indian cricket teams could prove challenging.

IOA Says Athlete Welfare Is the Priority

Despite the disagreement over accommodation preferences, the IOA says its priority is the welfare of India’s athletes.

Iyer said the BCCI’s plan to send an advance team is the appropriate way to evaluate the situation before making a final decision.

The IOA’s position is that every member of the Indian contingent should receive equal treatment, while individual sports bodies can make their own arrangements where necessary and take responsibility for the associated logistics.

LA28 Planning Already Looks Different

The accommodation debate in Japan comes as preparations for cricket’s return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028 are already progressing.

Iyer recently travelled to Los Angeles as part of a joint IOA-Sports Authority of India delegation. The group spent almost a week meeting stakeholders and examining sporting and logistical facilities.

According to Iyer, the goal is to ensure Indian athletes can concentrate on competition rather than dealing with avoidable logistical problems.

Cricket’s LA28 venue will be the newly constructed Knight Riders Cricket Ground at the Fairplex complex in Pomona. The venue is located next to the Sheraton Fairplex Suites & Conference Center, where cricket teams are expected to stay.

Major League Cricket matches are also expected to provide an early competitive test of the new venue and its playing surface.

India and Japan to Meet Before Asian Games

Before the Asian Games begin, India and Japan are also set to share a significant moment in cricket history.

The men’s teams are scheduled to meet in a T20I on September 22 for the Suzuki Cup, coinciding with the celebration of 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan.

For India, the match will also provide useful competitive preparation ahead of the Asian Games.

The coming weeks will therefore be important for the BCCI. Its advance team’s assessment of the Nagoya facilities could ultimately determine whether India’s cricketers stay within the official Games accommodation system or whether the board takes on the much larger responsibility of arranging hotels, food, transport and other logistics itself.