Why India’s Cricket Teams Aren’t Wearing Their Regular Jerseys At Asian Games 2026? Explained

Indian cricket fans are accustomed to seeing the familiar blue whenever the national team takes the field in an international series or an ICC tournament. But the Asian Games offer a slightly different setting.

India’s cricketers are part of the wider Indian contingent at Aichi-Nagoya, meaning their kit carries a broader Team India identity rather than being designed solely around cricket. The new jersey, built around the concept of ‘Invisible Trajectories’, reflects movement, precision and the shared sporting journey of athletes across disciplines.

What Makes Team India’s Asian Games Jersey Different?

The jersey has been designed by Aaquib Wani and developed by JSW Inspire, the official sport and lifestyle kit partner of the Indian Olympic Association. Its central idea, Invisible Trajectories, turns the unseen movements of athletes into a visual pattern inspired by spirograph-style lines. The concept is intended to represent the rhythm, precision and flow involved in elite sport.

Also Check: India Vs Japan Live Score, Asian Games Women's Quarterfinal

That makes the jersey different from the kits normally associated with Indian cricket. During bilateral series and ICC competitions, the men’s and women’s teams wear cricket-specific jerseys.

At the Asian Games, however, the players are competing as members of the larger Indian contingent. The official collection includes travel and training jerseys, while the Team India range carries the same design language across sports.

The jersey also features subtle tricolour detailing, while the official Team India collection includes different apparel for athletes and supporters. The travel and training jerseys are listed at INR 1,425 on the official JSW Inspire collection.

For India’s cricketers, therefore, the different look is less about changing the identity of Indian cricket and more about placing the players within the larger multi-sport contingent.

India Men and Women: Asian Games Cricket Schedule

India’s women’s and men’s cricket teams are both defending gold medals at the 2026 Asian Games, but their routes to the knockout stages are different. The women’s tournament began on September 17, with India starting their campaign directly in the quarter-finals.

Harmanpreet Kaur’s side face hosts Japan on September 18 at 10:30 AM IST at Korogi Athletic Park. The semi-finals are scheduled for September 20, followed by the bronze-medal match and final on September 22.

The men’s team, led by Shreyas Iyer, enters the competition later. India are seeded directly into the quarter-finals and will play the second-placed team from Group A on September 28 at 10:30 AM IST.

Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal make up Group A, with their matches taking place from September 24 to 26. The men’s semi-finals are scheduled for October 1, while the bronze-medal match and final will be played on October 3.