Asian Games 2026: Full list of athletes removed and added in India's contingent
India will travel for Asian Games on September 19.
India is set to travel to Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, for the Asian Games 2026, which run from September 19 to October 4. As many as 45 countries and regions will compete across 43 sports at this edition. India goes in with a lot to defend after its record-breaking show at Hangzhou 2023, where the country picked up 107 medals in total, made up of 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze.
Even with Neeraj Chopra pulling out because of an ankle injury, India’s contingent still carries five individual Olympic medallists into the Games. PV Sindhu in badminton, Manu Bhaker in shooting, Lovlina Borgohain in boxing, Aman Sehrawat in wrestling and Mirabai Chanu in weightlifting are among the athletes expected to lead India’s medal charge this time around.
On the cricket side, Shreyas Iyer will captain the men’s team as they defend their T20 title, and young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is part of that squad too. The women’s team, also the defending champion, will be led by Harmanpreet Kaur.
Hockey carries extra weight since both the men’s and women’s tournaments double up as qualification events for the LA 2028 Olympics, meaning whoever wins gold at these Games books a direct spot in LA.
What changes have been made to India’s squad and why
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Neeraj Chopra (out)
Neeraj Chopra has been ruled out of the Asian Games after sustaining an ankle ligament tear during training. The javelin star, who won gold at the 2023 Asiad in Hangzhou, has ended his 2026 season and will not defend his title. Yashvir Singh has been named as his replacement.
Yashvir Singh (in)
Named as Chopra’s replacement in the javelin event. Yashvir qualified for the Commonwealth Games final in Glasgow earlier this year with a throw of 78.36m.
Annu Rani (out)
The 2023 Asian Games gold medallist in javelin has been dropped after failing to meet the AFI’s qualifying mark of 57.62m across eight competitions this season. She recorded a season-best 57.50m at the Indian Athletics Series Final, still short of the mark. Her personal best of 63.82m, set in 2022, remains the national record.
Tejas Shirse (out)
The national record holder in the 110m hurdles has been left out after scans revealed stress fractures in his landing foot. The injury had already disrupted his Commonwealth Games campaign and forced him into rehabilitation.
Shahnavaz Khan (out)
The 18-year-old long jumper, who won bronze at the World U20 Championships in Eugene with a jump of 7.84m, failed to clear a fitness assessment after carrying a minor injury. He finished sixth at the final trial with 7.43m, well below his season-best 8.30m.
Nithya Gandhe (out)
The sprinter, originally selected for the women’s 4x100m relay, was dropped for performance and medical reasons after finishing ninth in the 100m at the final trial in 11.93 seconds.
Sarvesh Kushare (cleared)
The national record holder in high jump missed the final trial due to injury but has been medically cleared to compete.
Praveen Chithravel (cleared)
The triple jump national record holder skipped the trial with an injury but has received medical clearance.
Jyothi Yarraji (cleared)
The national record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles was cleared to compete after sitting out the final trial due to injury.
Nirbhay Chaudhary (out)
Set a new national hammer throw record of 71.02m at the final trial, surpassing the qualifying mark of 69.12 m. He was not selected because he began competing this season only in August, placing him outside the AFI’s qualification window.
Divyanshi Choudhary (out)
The wushu athlete was named in the Sports Ministry’s original squad list on August 22 but was later removed due to a knee injury. She had initially alleged the exclusion was unfair and last-minute. She has since said she accepts the federation’s decision after being briefed on the medical grounds.
Naorem Roshibina Devi (in)
Named as Choudhary’s replacement in the women’s 60kg sanda category. A two-time Asian Games medallist..
Harshit Rana (out)
The fast bowler suffered a rectus femoris strain during a bowling simulation while rehabilitating at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, ruling him out of the Afghanistan T20I series and the Asian Games. Yash Thakur has been named as his replacement.
Yash Thakur (in)
Named as Rana’s replacement in India’s cricket squad..
How many athletes are in India’s athletics squad for the Asian Games 2026?
India’s athletics contingent stands at 74 athletes after Annu Rani, Shahnavaz Khan and Nithya Gandhe were dropped from the original 79-member squad.
Why was Annu Rani left out of the Asian Games 2026 squad?
Annu Rani missed the qualifying standard of 57.62m for women’s javelin throw, with her best effort across the season coming in at 57.50m, just 12cm short.
Why was wushu athlete Divyanshi Choudhary dropped from the squad?
Divyanshi Choudhary was ruled out after an MRI and a SAI medical report showed a partial to high-grade ACL tear in her knee, with doctors advising rest and rehabilitation. She was replaced by Roshibina Devi Naorem.
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