Asian Games 2026 cricket schedule revealed; Know here
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Indian men’s and women’s team were the gold medalist in Asian Games 2023 in their respective categories.
Cricket is set for yet another major appearance at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with both the men’s and women’s leagues being played in the shortest format of the game. The sport will feature all the international rules, adding further significance to the continental multi-sport tournament. Every match is scheduled to be played at the Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture.
Both the men and women in blue will be entering the competition as the defending champions of the event. The last time the Asian Games were played was in 2023, when both India‘s men’s and women’s teams emerged as the gold-medal-winning sides. Last time around, India’s men’s team defeated Afghanistan in the gold medal match, while the women’s team won against Sri Lanka in the finals.
The 2026 edition will be another opportunity for India to dominate in the competition. While for the Indian men’s side, the Asian Games would be one place to continue their undisputed reign in multi-team T20 tournaments, for the Harmanpreet Kaur-led women’s side, it will be an opportunity to bounce back after their humiliating group-stage exit from the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
The women’s tournament will be held between the 17th and 22nd of September, with matches being played in a direct knockout format, while the men’s competition will be played from September 24 to October 3.
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Cricket: India to compete directly in the quarter-finals
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The men’s competition will include ten teams: Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal form Group A, while Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Oman are placed in Group B. The preliminary qualification matches will be played between the 24th and 26th of September, with the four qualifiers joining the seeded nations – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
| Date | Time | Match |
| 24 September | 09:00 | Afghanistan vs Japan |
| 24 September | 14:00 | Hong Kong, China vs Malaysia |
| 25 September | 09:00 | Hong Kong, China vs Oman |
| 25 September | 14:00 | Afghanistan vs Nepal |
| 26 September | 09:00 | Japan vs Nepal |
| 26 September | 14:00 | Malaysia vs Oman |
| 28 September | 09:00 | Quarter-final – Pakistan vs 2nd place of Group B |
| 28 September | 14:00 | Quarter-final – India vs 2nd place of Group A |
| 29 September | 09:00 | Quarter-final – Sri Lanka vs Winner of Group A |
| 29 September | 14:00 | Quarter-final – Bangladesh vs Winner of Group B |
| 1 October | 09:00 | Semi-final – Winner of QF1 vs Winner of QF4 |
| 1 October | 14:00 | Semi-final – Winner of QF2 vs Winner of QF3 |
| 3 October | 09:00 | Bronze Medal Match |
| 3 October | 14:00 | Final |
Asian Games 2026 Women’s Cricket: India begin title defence against Japan
The women’s competition features eight teams and follows the direct knockout stage. India will begin their campaign against Japan in the quarter-final on the 17th of September.
The other quarter-finals will be played between Bangladesh and People’s Republic of China, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, and Pakistan and Thailand.
| Date | Time | Match |
| 17 September | 09:00 | Bangladesh vs People’s Republic of China |
| 17 September | 14:00 | Pakistan vs Thailand |
| 18 September | 09:00 | Sri Lanka vs Malaysia |
| 18 September | 14:00 | India vs Japan |
| 20 September | 09:00 | Semi-final – Winner of Match 2 vs Winner of Match 3 |
| 20 September | 14:00 | Semi-final – Winner of Match 1 vs Winner of Match 4 |
| 22 September | 09:00 | Bronze Medal Match |
| 22 September | 14:00 | Final |
Which cricket team has won most gold medals in Asian Games?
Pakistan and India share the record for winning the most gold medals in cricket at the Asian Games with two gold medals each, including men’s and women’s sport.
When was cricket introduced in the Asian Games?
Cricket was introduced in the Asian Games during the 2010 edition held in Guangzhou, China.
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Subhomoy Datta has been a sports writer since 2022. He holds a BSc in Microbiology from Rastraguru Surendranath College, WBSU, and is currently pursuing his master’s at NIT Surathkal. With a growing interest in sports journalism, he enjoys following the game closely and turning sporting moments into stories for fans.