New Delhi, June 24, 2023: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced its plans to send both the Indian men’s ‘B Squad’ and the women’s team to participate in the T20 cricket competition at the upcoming Asian Games. Scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8, the event will see the men’s team consisting of a ‘B Squad’ due to the main team’s involvement in the 50-over World Cup, which will be hosted in India from October 5 to November 23. On the other hand, the women’s first-string team will represent India at the Asian Games, as per reports in the Indian Express. The BCCI aims to finalize and provide the list of players to the Indian Olympic Association before June 30th.
Cricket was included in the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014, but India did not participate on both occasions. In 2018, cricket was excluded from the Jakarta Games, but it is set to make a comeback in China this year. The event was originally planned for the previous year but was postponed due to China’s zero-Covid policy. During the previous inclusion of cricket in the Asian Games, the BCCI cited prior commitments as the reason for not sending the men’s and women’s teams to the continental event. Bhupender Bajwa, India’s chef de mission for the Asian Games, revealed that despite exchanging multiple emails with the BCCI, they ultimately informed the organizers that they would not participate.
This scenario of having two distinct Indian cricket teams competing on different fronts is not unfamiliar in the cricketing world. In 2021, while the senior team led by Virat Kohli was in England for the Pataudi Trophy, the BCCI sent a second-string team to Sri Lanka for a bilateral series comprising three ODIs and as many T20Is. Under the captaincy of Shikhar Dhawan and the guidance of coach Rahul Dravid, the young team emerged victorious in the ODIs with a 2-1 series win but faced defeat in the T20Is, losing 1-2 due to several players being unavailable due to Covid-related issues. Similarly, in 1998, one Indian team participated in the Commonwealth Games held in Kuala Lumpur, while another faced Pakistan in the Sahara Cup.
As cricket diplomacy takes center stage once again, Indian cricket fans eagerly await the performance of both the ‘B Squad’ men’s team and the women’s team at the Asian Games in China. The opportunity to represent their country in a prestigious multi-sport event will be a significant milestone in their cricketing careers and an opportunity to showcase their talent on an international stage.
