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Indias T20 skipper Shreyas Iyer expressed excitement about making his Asian Games debut in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, highlighting the significance of Indias opening match against Japan.
He also looked forward to interacting with athletes from other sports, including hockey players and Olympians, and experiencing their mindset and competitive spirit. Iyer said the Indian contingent would go to the Games as one nation with the aim of returning with victories and making the country proud. The 2026 Asian Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, with the mens cricket competition scheduled from September 24 to October 3. It is definitely an exciting time for me and for the team as well. It is going to be my first Asian Games, while a couple of players in the team have already featured in the previous edition. So, these are exciting times for all of us. Our first match is against Japan, which is going to be a historic occasion," he said. Sharing the experience with hockey players and other Olympic athletes who will be there will definitely be a great opportunity. I am really looking forward to interacting with them, understanding their mindset and, hopefully, attending some of their events and cheering them on. We are going there as one nation, and we will definitely want to make sure that we return with victories and make the country proud," he added. India will be led by Iyer in the mens cricket event at the 2026 Asian Games, with a strong squad combining experience, youth and all-round options. The 15-member side features names such as Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, alongside emerging talents including Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The squad also includes Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi, giving India considerable depth across batting, bowling and all-round departments. India: Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. (ANI)
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