The preparation of the Indian squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan is gaining momentum. In the men's cricket tournament, starting on September 24th, the team will be led by Shreyas Iyer. However, head coach Gautam Gambhir will not participate in these games.
The reason for Gautam Gambhir's absence is the overlap between the dates of the Asian Games and India's multi-format series against West Indies. This forces the Indian squad to compete on two fronts: the main team will play the series against the West Indies, while the team under Shreyas Iyer will represent India at the Asian Games.
In Gautam Gambhir's absence, former batsman Vice-Vice Laxman will take over the duties of head coach. This was reported by the news agency PTI. Laxman's support staff will include Sunil Joshi, Rishikesh Kanitkar, and Subdip Ghosh. Additionally, Maruf Fadjdar will take the position of assistant staff manager.
The Indian team includes many T20 stars, making it considered a strong contender for the gold medal. Regarding the team structure, there will be many specialists in the coaching and other functions within the support staff. Among them, after athletics, the largest contingent will be in the cricket sector for the Asian Games.
The Indian team will bypass the group stage of the Asian Games, receiving direct entry into the quarterfinals. Shreyas Iyer's team will play its first match in the 2026 Asian Games in the second quarterfinal match. Meanwhile, Pakistan will start the game in the first quarterfinal. In addition to India and Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have also qualified directly for the quarterfinals, although the determination of the quarterfinal opponents will happen later.
The Indian team represents an excellent combination of experience and youthful enthusiasm. Besides captain Shreyas Iyer, the attacking lineup is strengthened by players such as Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The all-rounders include Shivam Dubey, Tilak Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akshar Patel, and Washington Sundar. In the spin department, Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi will take responsibility. The fast bowling line-up is bolstered by options such as Jasprit Bumrah, Arshad Singh, and Harshit Rana.
Special attention will be paid to 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Vaibhav, who gained recognition through his explosive batting in the IPL (Indian Premier League) and domestic cricket, will get the opportunity to prove his abilities on a major stage like the Asian Games.
The team under Shreyas Iyer includes many players capable of changing the course of a match in just a few overs in T20 cricket. This is why India is considered one of the strongest candidates for the title even before the tournament begins.
Indian team composition: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dubey, Tilak Verma (vice-captain), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akshar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshad Singh, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi.