Cricket is set to be one of the major attractions at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan, with the schedules for both the men’s and women’s competitions now announced. India will enter the tournament as defending champions in both categories.
All cricket matches will be played at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture, with the women’s tournament scheduled from September 17 to 22 and the men’s competition from September 24 to October 3.
When Will India Men Begin Their Asian Games 2026 Campaign?
The Shreyas Iyer-led Indian men’s team will begin its campaign directly in the quarter-finals on September 28. India are among the seeded teams and will face the second-placed side from Group A, which consists of Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal.
The Indian men’s team will look to defend the gold medal it won at the previous Asian Games.
When Will India Women Play Their First Match?
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian women’s team will begin its campaign against hosts Japan on September 18 at 2:00 PM JST (10:30 AM IST). The women’s tournament follows a direct knockout format, with the winners progressing to the semi-finals.
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Cricket Groups
Ten teams will compete in the men’s tournament. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been seeded directly into the quarter-finals.
Group A: Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal
Group B: Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Oman
Seeded Teams: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage.
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Cricket Schedule
| Date | Match | Time (JST / IST) |
|---|---|---|
| September 24 | Afghanistan vs Japan | 9:00 AM / 5:30 AM |
| September 24 | Hong Kong, China vs Malaysia | 2:00 PM / 10:30 AM |
| September 25 | Hong Kong, China vs Oman | 9:00 AM / 5:30 AM |
| September 25 | Afghanistan vs Nepal | 2:00 PM / 10:30 AM |
| September 26 | Japan vs Nepal | 9:00 AM / 5:30 AM |
| September 26 | Malaysia vs Oman | 2:00 PM / 10:30 AM |
| September 28 | Pakistan vs 2nd Group B | 9:00 AM / 5:30 AM |
| September 28 | India vs 2nd Group A | 2:00 PM / 10:30 AM |
| September 29 | Sri Lanka vs Winner Group A | 9:00 AM / 5:30 AM |
| September 29 | Bangladesh vs Winner Group B | 2:00 PM / 10:30 AM |
| October 1 | Semi-final 1 | 9:00 AM / 5:30 AM |
| October 1 | Semi-final 2 | 2:00 PM / 10:30 AM |
| October 3 | Bronze Medal Match | 9:00 AM / 5:30 AM |
| October 3 | Final | 2:00 PM / 10:30 AM |
Asian Games 2026 Women’s Cricket Schedule
| Date | Match | Time (JST / IST) |
|---|---|---|
| September 17 | Bangladesh vs China | 9:00 AM / 5:30 AM |
| September 17 | Pakistan vs Thailand | 2:00 PM / 10:30 AM |
| September 18 | Sri Lanka vs Malaysia | 9:00 AM / 5:30 AM |
| September 18 | India vs Japan | 2:00 PM / 10:30 AM |
| September 20 | Semi-final 1 | 9:00 AM / 5:30 AM |
| September 20 | Semi-final 2 | 2:00 PM / 10:30 AM |
| September 22 | Bronze Medal Match | 9:00 AM / 5:30 AM |
| September 22 | Final | 2:00 PM / 10:30 AM |
Asian Games 2026: India Men’s Squad
India Men’s squad: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Asian Games 2026: India Women’s Squad
India Women’s squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Gunalan Kamalini, Bharti Fulmali, Sree Charani, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav and Nandani Sharma.
