India has added three specialist net bowlers to their Japan-bound cricket contingent ahead of the men’s T20I against Japan and the Asian Games campaign.
Former Jammu & Kashmir pacer Rasikh Salam Dar, Maharashtra spinner Vicky Ostwal, and Uttar Pradesh fast bowler Kartik Tyagi have joined the Shreyas Iyer-led side as unofficial members of the contingent. The trio departed New Delhi for Tokyo on Saturday night and will primarily assist the team during practice sessions.
India are scheduled to train at the Sano International Stadium on September 21, before facing Japan in a one-off T20I on September 22. Following their stay in Sano, the team will travel to Nagoya for the Asian Games, with India beginning their men’s cricket campaign on September 28.
Rasikh Salam Dar is a prominent figure in the IPL circuit, representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru and having secured consecutive IPL titles. He was also the most expensive uncapped player at the 2025 mega auction. Kartik Tyagi played last season for the Kolkata Knight Riders, while Vicky Ostwal is also part of RCB.
Shreyas Iyer Leads Asian Games Squad
India’s official Asian Games squad is led by Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain. The group includes Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur, and Vipraj Nigam.
The squad was reduced to 14 players after Nitish Kumar Reddy, initially selected for the Asian Games, was moved to India’s ODI squad for the West Indies series. Meanwhile, Varun Chakravarthy was ruled out with a side strain and replaced by Vipraj Nigam.
With only 14 official players available, the addition of Salam, Ostwal, and Tyagi gives India extra bowling depth during their training sessions in Japan. The three, however, are not part of the official Asian Games playing squad.
