Why Team India is Wearing Different Jersey in Asian Games? Explained

Indian cricket fans are used to seeing the familiar blue jersey whenever the national team takes the field in an international series or an ICC tournament. However, the Asian Games 2026 bring a different identity altogether.

When India’s cricketers step onto the field in Aichi-Nagoya, which has one of the smallest cricket stadiums in the world, they are not representing the BCCI’s cricket setup alone. The Indian women’s cricket team will be seen in a different and previously unseen jersey when they take on Japan in their tournament opener on September 18.

Why Does Team India Have a Different Jersey for Asian Games 2026?

The biggest reason behind the change is that the Asian Games are a multi-sporting event, unlike a bilateral cricket series or an ICC tournament. In regular international cricket, the Indian men’s and women’s teams wear jerseys designed specifically for cricket and associated with the sport’s governing body, sponsors and tournament requirements.

The Indian cricket team jersey in Asian Games 2026, however, is part of the official kit for the entire Indian contingent. The Indian Olympic Association unveiled the official contingent jersey ahead of the Games, giving athletes from different disciplines a shared visual identity.

That's why, the Indian Cricket team jersey change may look unusual to fans accustomed to the traditional cricket kit. The same broader Team India identity can be seen across athletes competing in different sports, rather than the cricket team having an entirely separate tournament-specific identity.

The jersey has been designed by Aaquib Wani, with JSW Inspire associated with the official Team India kit. Its concept is called ‘Invisible Trajectories’, drawing inspiration from the movement, rhythm and precision of athletes. The design uses flowing, spirograph-like patterns to represent the paths created through sporting movement.

What Does Invisible Trajectories Mean?

The India jersey in Asian Games 2026 has been created around the idea of making athletic movement visible. The design takes inspiration from the unseen trajectories produced when athletes run, jump, throw or perform different sporting movements.

The concept allows the the India jersey in Asiad to work beyond one particular sport. Cricket, shooting, wrestling, athletics, weightlifting and other disciplines all involve movement, precision and technique, making the design relevant to the entire contingent.

The official Team India range includes different pieces such as travel and training jerseys, while the competition and ceremonial kits form part of the wider contingent identity. The official Team India collection describes the design as capturing the rhythm, precision and flow of elite sport.