Asian games 2026 team India squad changes: A major change has been made in the Indian cricket team announced for the Asian Games 2026. Experienced spinner Varun Chakraborty, who was injured during the T20 series against Afghanistan, will no longer be a part of the Indian team in the Asian Games. In his place, young leg spinner Vipraj Nigam has been included in the team.
This change has been confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India i.e. BCCI. Varun Chakraborty complained of left side strain during the first T20 match against Afghanistan. After tests confirmed side strain, he was ruled out of the remaining matches of the series. Now due to his injury his name has also been removed from the Asian Games.
The Asian Games 2026 is to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4. The Indian men's cricket team will start its campaign in this competition directly from the quarter-final stage.
Vipraj Nigam gets a chance in place of Varun
Young spinner Vipraj Nigam from Uttar Pradesh has been included in the Indian team in place of Varun Chakraborty. This is Vipraj's first selection in the Indian team. He may also get an opportunity to make his international debut, although the final decision will depend on the team management and captain's strategy.
Vipraj Nigam has represented Delhi Capitals in domestic cricket as well as the Indian Premier League. He has played 19 matches in IPL so far, in which he has 13 wickets and 157 runs in his name. In the 2026 IPL season, he got a chance to play five matches, in which he took two wickets.
Delhi Capitals team has experienced spinners like Kuldeep Yadav and Akshar Patel. In such a situation, Vipraj did not get many opportunities in the regular playing eleven, but in the limited opportunities he has impressed with his bowling and batting ability.
Young player has opportunity for international debut
Vipraj Nigam is seen as a useful leg spinner. Along with bowling, he can also bat in the lower order. In T20 cricket, such players give additional depth to the team combination.
In a big multi-sport event like the Asian Games, the Indian team will have to perform better in limited matches. In such a situation, this opportunity can be very important for Vipraj. If he gets a place in the playing eleven, he can take the first step towards making his mark in international cricket.
Second consecutive injury is a big blow for Varun.
This injury is also disappointing for Varun Chakraborty because he had recently returned to the Indian team after recovering from injury. Earlier, he had stayed away from cricket for almost two months due to hamstring problem.
In the first T20 match against Afghanistan, he made a comeback and took one wicket for 16 runs in four overs. During this period he also bowled 13 dot balls. But during the match, he had to leave the field due to sudden side problem.
According to BCCI, Varun felt discomfort in his left side abdominal area. A scan confirmed a side strain and he was ruled out of the rest of the series. Now his fitness will be monitored further.
Updated Indian team for Asian Games 2026
The Indian men's cricket team for the Asian Games now consists of 15 players:
- Shreyas Iyer (Captain)
- Abhishek Sharma
- Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper)
- Ishan Kishan(wicketkeeper)
- Shivam Dubey
- Tilak Verma (Vice Captain)
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Akshar Patel
- washington beautiful
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Arshdeep Singh
- Vaibhav Suryavanshi
- Yash Thakur
- Vipraj Nigam
The command of the Indian team will be in the hands of Shreyas Iyer, while Tilak Verma has been given the responsibility of vice-captain. In the absence of Varun Chakraborty, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Vipraj Nigam can take charge of the spin department.