India, Pakistan Receive Direct Knockout Qualification for Asian Games 2026 Men’s Cricket
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have secured direct qualification to the knockout stage of the men’s cricket tournament at the 2026 Asian Games, following the official tournament draw.
The men’s competition, which begins on September 24 in Nagoya, Japan, will feature 10 teams competing in the Twenty20 (T20) format.
The preliminary round will include Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, and Oman, with the top two teams from the group stage advancing to the quarter-finals.
Preliminary Round Groups
Group A
- Afghanistan
- Japan
- Nepal
Group B
- Hong Kong
- Malaysia
- Oman
The four teams that qualify from the preliminary stage will join India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka in the knockout rounds.
Women’s Cricket Tournament
The women’s cricket competition will be held from September 17 to 22 and will begin directly with the quarter-final stage. All matches will also be played in the T20 format.
The quarter-final fixtures are:
- India vs Japan
- Bangladesh vs China
- Sri Lanka vs Malaysia
- Pakistan vs Thailand
India enters the tournament as the defending champion after winning both the men’s and women’s cricket gold medals at the previous Asian Games, which were held in Hangzhou in 2023.
The 2026 Asian Games cricket events are expected to feature strong competition as teams battle for medals in one of the tournament’s most anticipated sports.
