The cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games is set to kick off on 17 September, two days before the Games’ opening ceremony. The matches will be staged at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, a small city east of Nagoya, where a recently prepared surface will host some of the continent’s leading cricketers, including India’s captain Shreyas Iyer, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and emerging talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Venue flagged for inadequate facilities
Korogi Sports Park was originally a baseball field and still retains a pitcher’s mound just beyond the playing boundary. The ground’s conversion to a cricket venue has drawn criticism from several national boards. According to a report in The Indian Express, the pitch was laid only a few weeks ago and has seen limited use – a solitary tournament in May – leaving its behaviour largely untested. A source familiar with the situation described the ground as “very rudimentary”, noting that the quality of the pitch remains uncertain.
Beyond the playing surface, the venue reportedly lacks proper dressing rooms, and the nearby accommodation consists of very small hotel rooms that may be unable to accommodate a player’s kit bag. These shortcomings have amplified worries among teams that will travel to Japan for the event.
Boards voice alarm, ACC to inspect
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was the first to raise the alarm, doing so during an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting earlier in the month. Following Pakistan’s complaint, representatives from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and other member boards joined the discussion. The consensus was to dispatch ACC officials to evaluate both the playing area and the players’ lodging before the tournament proceeds.
In response to the concerns, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) approached the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Asian Games Organising Committee for clarification. An IOA official clarified that the body does not handle technical aspects of individual sports, and advised the BCCI to coordinate directly with the Games’ organising committee for any necessary interventions.
India’s schedule and expectations
India’s women’s team, led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, will open their campaign against the host nation Japan on 17 September at Korogi Sports Park. The men’s side, seeded directly into the quarter‑finals, will begin their run on 28 September, also at the same venue. Both squads are expected to arrive in Nagoya around 14 or 15 September, giving them a brief window to acclimatise and assess the facilities.
The women’s tournament features eight teams and starts straight from the quarter‑final stage, while the men’s competition involves ten teams, with six sides contesting a preliminary round before the quarter‑finals. India’s seeding in both events means the teams bypass the opening round, positioning them for a relatively short but high‑stakes campaign.
Japan’s push to promote cricket in a country traditionally dominated by baseball aligns with the International Cricket Council’s long‑standing aim to develop the sport in new markets. However, the rapid conversion of a baseball ground into a cricket venue, combined with the reported lack of essential amenities, has intensified scrutiny from participating nations.
As the ACC prepares its inspection mission, the focus will be on confirming whether the pitch meets international standards and whether the accommodation can safely house the athletes and their equipment. The outcome of these assessments could influence any last‑minute adjustments required to ensure a safe and competitive environment for the Asian Games cricket tournament.
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