India skipper Shreyas Iyer on Saturday (October 3, 2026) said his team not complaining despite a disrupted build-up to the Asian Games was a sign of a “champion team” and laid the foundation for its gold medal in the continental event.
India’s preparations were heavily impacted by rain with the team getting its first proper training session ahead of the semifinal against Sri Lanka on October 1. The team arrived in Japan on September 20, played five over game a side on September 22 in Sano before travelling to Nagoya. The Asian Games quarterfinal against Afghanistan on September 28 was a washout. Iyer said the squad chose to adapt rather than make excuses before going on to beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the final on Saturday (October 3, 2026).
“If have to use a word, I would say ecstatic. Since the day we arrived in Japan, it was raining cats and dogs and we couldn’t practise for almost a week. But the boys, the way they prepped themselves and also we were doing our training on the side. “When you’re playing a final, you want each and every individual to step up and deliver.
We didn’t complain, we didn’t give any reason,” Iyer said after the final. And that’s what we witnessed today.