Team India could find themselves in a peculiar situation on 3rd October 2026, something that only happened to them once in 1998. In October, Indian fans could see two different Men in Blue sides competing in international cricket in two different countries on the same day.

While one team may be vying for an Asian Games medal in Japan, another is slated to play the West Indies in the third and final ODI in their home series at New Chandigarh.

The men's cricket competition at the Asian Games also ends on October 3 at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, while the West Indies ODI is set to begin at 2 p.m. IST. The gold-medal match and the bronze-medal playoff are also set for that day; therefore, if India advances past the semifinals, the match is inevitable.

India will play the second-place team from Group A on September 28 after being granted direct access to the Asian Games quarterfinals. That group consists of Afghanistan, Japan, and Nepal; the winner of India's quarterfinal advances to the semi-finals on October 1.  

Regardless of the outcome of the semi-final, India would thus be assured of another match on October 3. They would compete for bronze as the reigning champions following their victory at Hangzhou in 2023 if they lost, but they would advance to the gold-medal match if they won.

Shreyas Iyer will captain an Indian T20I squad containing Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

Selectors will need to take into consideration the players who are unavailable due to the games, as India's roster for the West Indies ODI series has not yet been revealed.

As a result, one India team composed of ODI mainstays like Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Kuldeep Yadav may face the West Indies in New Chandigarh, while another elite team competes for a medal in Japan.

The Asian Games contingent will have been in Japan for many days before the knockout stage begins. India will also face hosts Japan in a historic T20I at Sano on September 22, giving the touring team time to prepare for their Games campaign.

Such a similar situation occurred in 1998, as on September 12, two different Indian teams competed in international cricket on the same day in different countries.

An Indian side featuring Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, and Ajay Jadeja competed in the Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur against Canada. India posted 157/9 before dismissing Canada for just 45, with Kumble returning figures of 4/11.

On the other hand, another Indian team led by Mohammed Azharuddin, featuring Sourav Ganguly, Javagal Srinath, Rahul Dravid, and Navjot Singh Sidhu, took on Pakistan in the Sahara Cup in Canada. India defeated Pakistan by six wickets thanks to Sourav Ganguly’s 54 and three wickets.

28 years later, Indian cricket could produce a similarly remarkable split, but the circumstances would say even more about the depth now available.

Rather than racing to cover simultaneous responsibilities, India could field two teams on the same day, each with extensive international and IPL experience. One team could be attempting to complete an ODI series against the West Indies in Punjab, while the other is competing for an Asian Games gold medal in Japan.

October 3 could see a striking demonstration of India’s bench strength over the last few years, with all the discussions around it.