'If India overcome these issues, gold medal is confirmed' - Mohammad Kaif on Asian Games 2026

Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif has raised concerns about the facilities and pitch conditions that the Indian cricket team may encounter at the Asian Games 2026. The tournament will take place from September 19 to October 4, 2026, around Aichi Prefecture in Japan, with cricket events beginning from September 10. India will be defending both the men's and women's gold medals in the T20 format, which features 10 men's teams and 8 women's teams.

Kaif expressed his concerns about how Indian players, accustomed to premium facilities, may struggle with the conditions in Japan.

"Our new players have grown up living in 7-star hotels. They live in 5-star hotels during the IPL, so I don't know what the facilities will be like at the Asian Games 2026. I read somewhere recently that there might be small rooms, I don't know what it's going to be. I also don't know how the pitches are going to be. When we went to New York for the T20 World Cup 2024, the players were troubled because of the spongy pitches and uneven bounce. The Indian players are not used to these kinds of issues," said Kaif on Cricbuzz.

"They are used to good pitches, good grounds, and hotels. If India manage to overcome these issues, then the gold medal is confirmed," he added.

Kaif drew a parallel with India's experience at the T20 World Cup 2024 in New York, where the team faced difficulties with the playing surfaces. The spongy pitches and uneven bounce in New York had troubled Indian players, and Kaif suggested that similar conditions could emerge at the Asian Games. He emphasised that the Indian squad is accustomed to playing on well-maintained pitches and staying in quality hotels, making adaptation to unfamiliar conditions a potential obstacle.

India are going to dominate: Mohit Sharma

Former India cricketer Mohit Sharma has urged the Shreyas Iyer-led side to dominate the tournament. India have directly qualified for the quarter-finals and will play their first match on September 28.

"I don't think the goal here is winning, I think it is dominance. You are not just going to play or participate in the Asian Games, you are going to dominate. If we don't dominate the teams with this squad in the Asian Games then somewhere or the other there must be a mistake," Mohit said.