Asian Games 2026 Cricket Schedule: India and Pakistan Fixtures, Groups and Dates
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
Cricket will once again be part of the Asian Games 2026 in Japan, with the men’s and women’s competitions set to be played in the T20 format.
The cricket events will take place at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi, with the women’s tournament scheduled from September 17 to September 22 and the men’s competition running from September 24 to October 3.
India will enter both tournaments as the defending champion after winning the men’s and women’s gold medals at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Asian Games 2026 Women’s Cricket Schedule
The women’s cricket tournament will feature eight teams and will follow a straight knockout format.
The competition will begin with four quarter-finals on September 17 and 18. The opening match will see Bangladesh take on China, followed by Pakistan vs Thailand.
The remaining quarter-finals will feature Sri Lanka against Malaysia and India against hosts Japan.
Women’s Quarter-Finals
- September 17: Bangladesh vs China
- September 17: Pakistan vs Thailand
- September 18: Sri Lanka vs Malaysia
- September 18: India vs Japan
India will begin its title defence in the quarter-finals against hosts Japan on September 18.
The women’s semi-finals are scheduled for September 20, while the bronze medal match and final will take place on September 22.
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Cricket Groups
The men’s competition will involve 10 teams. Six teams have been divided into two preliminary groups, while four seeded teams will enter the competition directly at the quarter-final stage.
Group A
- Afghanistan
- Japan
- Nepal
Group B
- Hong Kong China
- Malaysia
- Oman
The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals.
India and Pakistan to Enter at Quarter-Final Stage
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have been given seeded status and will join the competition in the quarter-finals.
India will begin its campaign on September 28, facing the runners-up from Group A.
Pakistan will also play its first match on September 28, taking on the Group B runners-up.
Sri Lanka will face the winner of Group A on September 29, while Bangladesh will meet the Group B winner in the final quarter-final.
Men’s Quarter-Final Schedule
- September 28: India vs Group A runners-up
- September 28: Pakistan vs Group B runners-up
- September 29: Sri Lanka vs Group A winners
- September 29: Bangladesh vs Group B winners
The men’s semi-finals will be played on October 1.
The tournament will conclude on October 3, when the bronze medal match and gold medal final are scheduled to take place.
Asian Games 2026 Cricket Tournament
The Asian Games cricket competition will provide another opportunity for Asian teams to compete for medals in the shortest international format.
With India defending both titles and Pakistan also entering the men’s tournament at the quarter-final stage, the cricket events are expected to attract significant attention throughout the Games.
