India’s envoy to Japan, Nagma Mallick, welcomed the Indian cricket team at her residence in Japan ahead of the team’s departure for the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya.
The Indian Embassy in Japan shared photographs from the meeting on social media. The embassy expressed its appreciation to the Indian team and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for their role in marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan.
The embassy also wished the Indian players success in their Asian Games campaign. It thanked the team and the BCCI for helping begin the anniversary celebrations and praised the players for their contribution to the occasion.
Meanwhile, the Indian men’s cricket team continued its preparations for the tournament. The players held an indoor training session ahead of their campaign, with Sanju Samson and other members of the squad taking part. Head coach VVS Laxman supervised the practice as the team worked on its preparations.
India also enters the Asian Games as the defending champion in women’s cricket. Under captain Harmanpreet Kaur, the Indian women’s team defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs to retain the gold medal.
India had also won gold in men’s cricket at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. The team, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, defeated Afghanistan in the final to claim the title.
For the 2026 Asian Games, India’s men’s cricket squad is led by Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain. The squad includes Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Vipraj Nigam, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Thakur, Arshdeep Singh and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
With preparations underway, India will look to defend its strong record in Asian Games cricket. The team will aim to begin its campaign in Nagoya with a strong performance and continue the country’s successful run in the tournament.