India to Begin Asian Games 2026 Cricket Campaigns from Quarterfinals

The schedule for the men's and women's cricket tournaments at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya has been officially announced, with both Indian teams receiving direct entry into the quarterfinals as top-seeded sides.

India, which swept both gold medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, will once again enter the competition as one of the favourites. The women's tournament will be held from September 17 to 22, while the men's competition is scheduled from September 24 to October 1.

As defending champions in both categories, the Indian teams will aim to continue their dominance and retain the titles they won four years ago.

India's women's team has been handed a favourable quarterfinal draw and will face Japan in their opening match of the tournament. A victory would move India into the semifinals, where they will take on the winner of the quarterfinal between Bangladesh and China.

The other half of the draw features Sri Lanka vs Malaysia and Pakistan vs Thailand, with the winners meeting in the second semifinal. Although Japan will start as underdogs, knockout cricket leaves little room for error. India will be expected to field a strong squad and avoid any early surprises as they look to move one step closer to defending their gold medal.

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are once again expected to be among the strongest challengers, while Pakistan will also be targeting a place in the final after consistently performing well in Asian competitions.

Unlike the women's draw, the men's tournament will first feature a group stage before the knockout rounds begin. India have already secured a direct place in the quarterfinals but will have to wait to discover their opponents, who will emerge from the preliminary rounds. Two groups have been announced for the opening stage.

Group A consists of Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal, while Group B features Hong Kong China, Malaysia and Oman.

The winners and qualifying teams from these groups will join the higher-ranked nations in the quarterfinals. Alongside India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have also been seeded directly into the last eight based on their international rankings.

While India's opponent remains unknown, the group stage promises several intriguing contests, particularly Afghanistan's campaign as they seek to progress into the knockout rounds.

Cricket made a successful return to the Asian Games in Hangzhou, where India claimed gold medals in both the men's and women's competitions. The women's team defeated Sri Lanka in the final to secure the title, while the men's side overcame Afghanistan to finish on top of the podium. Those victories marked India's first-ever cricket gold medals at the Asian Games and further highlighted the country's growing depth in both formats of the game.

With cricket continuing to expand across Asia, the competition at Aichi-Nagoya is expected to be stronger, with several emerging nations investing heavily in player development and domestic structures.

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Unlike multi-week ICC tournaments, the Asian Games cricket competition follows a compact schedule where every match carries significant importance. For the seeded teams, beginning directly in the quarterfinals means there is little margin for error. A single defeat would end medal hopes immediately. At the same time, skipping the group stage allows India to enter the knockout rounds with a fresher squad, reducing workload and providing additional preparation time before their opening fixture.

Team selection and squad balance will therefore play a crucial role, particularly if the tournament is played in the T20 format similar to the previous edition.

The inclusion of cricket at the Asian Games has provided emerging cricket nations with an opportunity to compete against established international teams in a major multi-sport event. Countries such as Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, Hong Kong China and Oman have all made significant investments in developing the sport over recent years, making the tournament increasingly competitive.

For India, however, expectations remain clear. Anything short of another podium finish would be considered a disappointment given the depth of talent available across both the men's and women's teams. With the schedule now confirmed, attention will gradually shift towards squad announcements as selectors prepare for another major international assignment.

Having dominated the previous edition in Hangzhou, India will head to Aichi-Nagoya with the objective of defending both titles and reinforcing its position as the leading cricket nation in Asia.

Asian Games 2026 Women's Cricket Schedule

Quarterfinals

• India vs Japan

• Bangladesh vs China

• Sri Lanka vs Malaysia

• Pakistan vs Thailand

Semifinals

• India/Japan vs Bangladesh/China

• Sri Lanka/Malaysia vs Pakistan/Thailand

Tournament Dates: September 17–22, 2026

Asian Games 2026 Men's Cricket Schedule

Group A

• Afghanistan

• Japan

• Nepal

Group B

• Hong Kong China

• Malaysia

• Oman

Quarterfinals

• India vs TBD

• Pakistan vs TBD

• Sri Lanka vs TBD

• Bangladesh vs TBD

Tournament Dates: September 24 – October 1, 2026