India and Pakistan are facing each other in the men’s cricket final of the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. At the same time, Indian cricket has been represented by different squads in other international assignments. This can raise a basic question for cricket fans: how can more than one Indian team play international cricket at the same time?
The answer lies in the way the Board of Control for Cricket in India, or BCCI, manages its squads and the international cricket calendar. The Asian Games team is officially an Indian national team selected by the BCCI for that particular competition. At the same time, another group of players can be selected for a different bilateral series or assignment.
India Can Have Different Squads for Different Competitions
The BCCI does not have to use exactly the same group of players for every international match. The men’s selection committee selects squads according to the competition, format, schedule and availability of players.
For the 2026 Asian Games, the BCCI selected a 15-member men’s squad led by Shreyas Iyer. The squad included established international players such as Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh.
This means that the Asian Games side is not technically an unofficial or unauthorised team. It is an India side selected by the BCCI for the Asian Games competition.
Why Is Another Indian Team Playing Elsewhere?
The international cricket calendar can require India to participate in more than one competition within a short period. As a result, the BCCI can divide its available players among different assignments.
A recent example shows how this works. During the current period, India has had players involved with the Asian Games squad, the senior ODI setup, India A and domestic representative teams. One report noted that 69 Indian cricketers were expected to be involved across different teams and competitions over a five-week period.
The purpose of each squad can also be different. A senior international side may be selected for a bilateral series, while another group may be selected for the Asian Games. India A can meanwhile provide opportunities to players who are part of the wider national selection system.
Is the Asian Games Team a “B Team”?
The term “B team” is often used informally by fans and media when a country does not select its usual first-choice players. However, the term does not have a formal legal status in cricket.
In fact, the BCCI specifically rejected reports in August 2026 that India would send a B team to the Asian Games. The board subsequently selected a squad containing several established international players, including Bumrah, Iyer, Samson, Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh.
The important point is that the identity of the team is determined by the competition and the official selection process. A player does not have to be part of the squad playing another series for the Asian Games team to be officially recognised as India.
How Can India and Pakistan Play Each Other?
The Asian Games has its own cricket competition, governed by the rules applicable to the Games and the cricket tournament. India and Pakistan were placed in opposite halves of the men’s draw, meaning they could meet only in the gold-medal match if both teams progressed through the tournament.
That situation eventually occurred. India and Pakistan reached the men’s cricket final, with the International Cricket Council confirming the gold-medal contest between the two sides on October 3, 2026.
The match is therefore an official Asian Games cricket match involving the Indian team selected for that competition. It is not a separate private match involving an unofficial group of players.
Why Does the BCCI Use This System?
One major reason is the extremely crowded international cricket calendar. Players cannot realistically appear in every competition when multiple tournaments and bilateral series take place around the same time.
Different squads also allow selectors to manage workloads, provide opportunities to players and maintain a larger pool of international-level cricketers. The system also gives the BCCI flexibility when a major multi-sport event such as the Asian Games takes place alongside regular international cricket.
The BCCI’s official squad announcement for the 2026 Asian Games itself shows that the selection committee separately picked teams for the Asian Games, T20I series and India A assignments.
What Does “Team India” Mean in This Situation?
“Team India” is commonly used for the Indian national cricket side, but the players representing India can change from one competition to another. There is no rule requiring every Indian international match to feature exactly the same 15 players.
Therefore, when India plays Pakistan in the Asian Games while another group of Indian players is involved in a different competition, there is no contradiction. Both squads can represent India in their respective competitions, provided they have been officially selected and registered under the rules of that competition.
The Asian Games final is consequently an example of how modern international cricket can operate with a large national player pool, allowing the BCCI to field different India squads for different competitions during the same period.
