The Asian Games 2026 will see cricket return to the continental sporting event, with both men’s and women’s T20 competitions scheduled to take place in Japan. India will enter the tournament as the defending champion in both categories after winning gold medals in men’s and women’s cricket at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Cricket is set to make its return to the Asian Games for the fourth time in the history of the competition. The 2026 edition will feature T20 cricket in both the men’s and women’s categories, giving teams another opportunity to compete for Asian Games gold.
The women’s cricket tournament will be played from September 17 to September 22, while the men’s competition will take place from September 24 to October 3. All cricket matches during the Asian Games 2026 are scheduled to be played at Korogi Athletic Park in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture.
With India and Pakistan both included in the men’s competition, attention will naturally be focused on the possibility of another high-profile clash between the two sides. However, according to the tournament draw, the two teams cannot meet in the men’s quarter-finals. Their next possible meeting could come in the medal rounds.
Asian Games 2026 Women’s Cricket: Eight Teams to Start From Quarter-Finals
The women’s cricket competition will feature eight teams, with all eight sides entering the tournament directly at the quarter-final stage.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Japan, China, Malaysia and Thailand are the eight teams taking part in the women’s competition.
The tournament will begin with four quarter-finals on September 17 and 18. The semi-finals will then be played on September 20, followed by the bronze medal and gold medal matches on September 22.
Women’s Cricket Schedule
September 17: India vs Japan – Quarter-Final
September 17: Bangladesh vs China – Quarter-Final
September 18: Sri Lanka vs Malaysia – Quarter-Final
September 18: Pakistan vs Thailand – Quarter-Final
September 20: Semi-Final 1 and Semi-Final 2
September 22: Bronze Medal Match and Gold Medal Match
India will begin its women’s cricket campaign against hosts Japan in the quarter-finals. If India wins that match, the team will face the winner of the Bangladesh vs China quarter-final in the semi-final.
Pakistan, meanwhile, will face Thailand in its opening knockout match. This means the women’s competition could also produce an India-Pakistan meeting later in the tournament, depending on the results of the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Cricket: 10 Teams in the Competition
The men’s cricket tournament will have 10 participating teams. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal, Hong Kong China, Malaysia and Oman will compete for the gold medal.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have received direct entry into the quarter-finals. The remaining six teams have been divided into two groups.
Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal are placed in Group A, while Hong Kong China, Malaysia and Oman form Group B. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals.
The group-stage matches are scheduled to take place between September 24 and September 26. The knockout stage will then begin with the quarter-finals on September 28 and 29.
Men’s Cricket Schedule
September 24-26: Group A and Group B matches
September 28: India vs Group B runner-up – Quarter-Final
September 28: Pakistan vs Group A runner-up – Quarter-Final
September 29: Sri Lanka vs Group B winner – Quarter-Final
September 29: Bangladesh vs Group A winner – Quarter-Final
October 1: Semi-Final 1 and Semi-Final 2
October 3: Bronze Medal Match and Gold Medal Match
When Can India and Pakistan Meet at the Asian Games?
The biggest question surrounding the men’s cricket competition is when India and Pakistan could face each other.
According to the draw, India will play the second-placed team from Group B in its quarter-final. Pakistan, on the other hand, will take on the second-placed team from Group A.
Because of this draw, India and Pakistan cannot meet in the quarter-finals. Both teams would have to continue winning their matches to keep the possibility of a direct encounter alive.
If India and Pakistan successfully make their way through the knockout stage, their meeting could come in the medal matches. The two sides could potentially face each other in either the bronze medal match or the gold medal match on October 3.
A gold medal clash between India and Pakistan would be particularly significant, while a bronze medal encounter would also attract enormous attention from cricket fans across Asia.
India Enter Asian Games 2026 as Defending Champions
India will arrive at the Asian Games 2026 with the added pressure of being the defending champion in both men’s and women’s cricket.
At the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, India won gold medals in both cricket competitions. The Indian men’s and women’s teams will therefore look to repeat that success in Japan.
The return of cricket in the Asian Games also adds another major international competition to the calendar for the participating teams. With T20 cricket offering fast-paced matches and a knockout format, every game could have a major impact on the medal race.
The presence of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the men’s competition is expected to make the tournament especially competitive. For fans, however, the possibility of an India-Pakistan meeting on October 3 could become one of the biggest talking points of the Asian Games 2026 cricket tournament.
With the women’s event beginning on September 17 and the men’s competition starting on September 24, cricket will once again be one of the major attractions of the Asian Games in Japan. The race for gold, the defending champions’ campaign and the possibility of an India-Pakistan showdown could make the cricket events among the most closely followed competitions of the Games.
Also read: Indian Cricket Team T20i Schedule 2026: Team India Set for a Packed T20 International Calendar
