The cricket schedule for the Asian Games 2026 has been announced. India’s men’s and women’s teams will compete in the tournament in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Cricket will be played from September 17 to October 1 as part of the multi-sport event. All matches will be played in the T20 format and will have full international status.
India will enter the tournament as the defending champions. Both the men’s and women’s teams won gold medals at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. They will now aim to defend their titles in Japan.
The women’s competition will begin on September 17. The men’s tournament will start on September 24. Several young and experienced players are expected to use the event as preparation for future international competitions.
India-Pakistan Clash Possible Only in Knockout Stage
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have received direct entry into the men’s quarter-finals as the top-seeded teams. The remaining four quarter-final places will be decided through the group stage.
Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal have been placed in Group A. Hong Kong China, Malaysia and Oman will compete in Group B. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals.
An India-Pakistan match is possible only if both teams reach the final four. The two rivals can face each other only once in the tournament, either in a semi-final or in the final.
In the women’s competition, India will begin their campaign against Japan in the quarter-finals. If Harmanpreet Kaur’s team wins, it will face either Bangladesh or China in the semi-finals.
Sri Lanka will take on Malaysia in another quarter-final, while Pakistan will face Thailand for a place in the last four.
Harmanpreet Kaur will captain the Indian women’s team, with Smriti Mandhana serving as vice-captain. Shreyas Iyer will lead the men’s team, while Tilak Varma has been named vice-captain. Young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is also included in India’s 15-member squad for the tournament.
