Asian Games 2026: The Indian men’s cricket team, led by captain Shreyas Iyer, will begin its campaign at the Asian Games 2026 with a quarterfinal clash against Afghanistan. The highly anticipated match between India and Afghanistan is scheduled for Monday, September 28, with the contest set to begin at 10:30 AM IST.
The match will be played as the second quarterfinal of the cricket competition. The winner will secure a place in the semifinal, making the encounter an important first step for India in its pursuit of the gold medal.
India vs Afghanistan in Second Quarterfinal
India’s first match of the Asian Games 2026 will be against Afghanistan, which finished second in Group A during the league stage. Afghanistan collected two points to secure the second position in the group.
Nepal topped Group A with three points and will play Sri Lanka in the third quarterfinal on Tuesday, September 29. Japan was also part of the same group.
India’s position in the knockout stage had already been determined based on the tournament structure and the results from the group stage. The Indian team will now look to make a strong start against Afghanistan and book its place in the semifinals.
India Enters Asian Games 2026 as Defending Champion
India will enter the Asian Games 2026 cricket competition with considerable expectations. The Indian side is the defending champion and has been regarded as one of the leading contenders for the gold medal.
Ahead of the official tournament match, India also played a practice game against hosts Japan. India won that rain-affected contest by two runs. Because of the weather conditions, the match was reduced to five overs per side, giving the Indian players valuable preparation before the knockout stage.
The Indian squad features a combination of experienced international players and promising young talent. With several players capable of making an impact in different situations, the team will be looking to maintain its strong performance in the competition.
India vs Afghanistan Match Time and Live Telecast
The India-Afghanistan quarterfinal will take place at the Nishinomiya Koryo Sports Park. The match is scheduled to start at 10:30 AM Indian Standard Time, while the toss will take place at 10:00 AM IST.
For television viewers, the match will be available through the Sony Sports network. The live broadcast is scheduled on Sony Sports Ten 1 and Sony Sports Ten 3. Fans who prefer to watch the game online can follow the live streaming through the SonyLIV app.
The result of this quarterfinal will directly determine which team advances to the semifinal, adding further importance to the opening knockout match for India.
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India Squad for Asian Games 2026
India has named a strong squad for the Asian Games 2026, with Shreyas Iyer leading the side and Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain.
The Indian squad includes
Shreyas Iyer – Captain
Abhishek Sharma
Sanju Samson – Wicketkeeper
Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Ishan Kishan – Wicketkeeper
Shivam Dube
Tilak Varma – Vice-Captain
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Axar Patel
Washington Sundar
Varun Chakravarthy
Ravi Bishnoi
Jasprit Bumrah
Arshdeep Singh
Yash Thakur
With the knockout stage beginning against Afghanistan, all eyes will be on Shreyas Iyer and his team as they look to start their Asian Games 2026 campaign with a victory and move one step closer to the gold medal.
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