Asian Games 2026: ‘Whatever they are providing, we are staying there’: Rajiv Shukla on India cricketers' accommodation in Nagoya

The Indian cricketers travelling to Japan for the Asian Games will stay at accommodation designated by the Games’ Organising Committee, BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla said on Tuesday, amid recent concerns over the facilities available in Nagoya. Unlike their usual stays at five-star hotels during overseas tours, the Indian players will be housed in the accommodation arranged for participating athletes. Shukla, however, said the BCCI and the players were satisfied with the arrangements after reviewing photographs and videos of the facilities.

“Whatever they (organisers) are providing, we are staying there and we are keeping a watch on what kind of accommodation is being given so that our players are comfortable. Definitely those are not five-star but good accommodation,” Shukla said at the send-off ceremony of the Indian contingent. “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 (cricketers) will be going and staying there because otherwise the options were to make them stay in Osaka or Tokyo that’s far away.”

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Shukla also confirmed that the Indian cricketers will be given individual rooms rather than being made to stay in twin-sharing accommodation. The accommodation issue had gained attention last week after multiple reports suggested that the BCCI was unhappy with the arrangements. The difficulty stemmed largely from a shortage of top-rated hotels in Nagoya, the host city for the Games. “The problem was that Nagoya didn’t have many hotels. Tokyo is one and a half hours 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 so it has been decided that our players will live at hotel accommodation there (at Nagoya),” he added further.

According to Shukla, accommodation was not the primary concern for the BCCI. Instead, the condition of the playing surface and player facilities had emerged as the bigger issue ahead of the tournament. “The big issue was the ground, wicket and dressing rooms. They (organisers) have addressed those things. Asian Cricket Council’s team has gone there and now they (ACC team) are satisfied with the ground, the wickets and dressing rooms, everything is fine.”

Shukla said the accommodation arrangements were being coordinated by the Indian Olympic Association, the Asian Games Organising Committee and the Japan Cricket Association. “That’s being organized by Indian Olympic Association, Asian Games Organising Committee and Japan Cricket Association.