Asian Games 2026: India's updated schedule for today, September 18
Indian women’s cricket team will face Japan on September 18.
The Asian Games 2026 is well underway in Aichi-Nagoya, with September 18 shaping up to be a significant day for India. The schedule includes both early-morning qualifiers and one of the biggest matches of the campaign so far.
India have sent a massive 503-athlete contingent to Aichi-Nagoya this year, taking part across 36 sports. On September 18, India’s action spans Soft Tennis and Teqball qualifiers, along with a huge Women’s Cricket quarter-final against hosts Japan, as the defending champions kick off their title defence.
Harmanpreet Kaur leads the side as usual, with Smriti Mandhana as her deputy. The latter recently went past Mithali Raj to become the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket and already has more centuries than anyone else across formats.
With the ball, Deepti Sharma, the all-time leading wicket-taker in women’s T20Is, and Shree Charani, the format’s top-ranked bowler, will be among the bowlers to watch. Shafali Verma, the Player of the Series at the Women’s Asia Cup, is another name in good form.
Japan will play only their third Asian Games cricket tournament. Their best result was in 2010, when they won bronze in a straight knockout event.
Elsewhere, Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza starts India’s Teqball campaign in the women’s singles against Japan’s Yuina Sakamoto before facing Cambodia’s Koemyean Dy, with a chance to reach the quarter-finals on the same day if things go her way.
Related: WATCH – Indian athletes stranded for 14 hours in Nagoya before Asian Games 2026
She also teams up with Mohamed Anas Imran Beg in the mixed doubles, where India face the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, and Kuwait in the group stage. Meanwhile, India’s soft tennis trio of Jay Meena, Aryan Thakur and Yogesh Choudhary will begin their campaign in the men’s team qualification event.
India’s full schedule for September 18 at Asian Games 2026
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05:30 AM — Soft Tennis (Men’s Team Qualification)
- Athletes: Jay Meena, Aryan Thakur, Yogesh Choudhary [India]
- Stage: Team Qualification
02:30 AM — Teqball (Women’s Singles Qualification)
- Athlete: Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza [India] vs Yuina Sakamoto [Japan]
- Stage: Group A, Match 2
- Venue: Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center [Table 1]
06:30 AM — Teqball (Women’s Singles Qualification, Match 3)
- Athlete: Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza [India] vs Koemyean Dy [Cambodia]
- Stage: Group A, Match 3
- Venue: Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center [Table 1]
- (If she wins, Dsouza plays a quarter-final at 07:30 AM IST)
09:30 AM — Teqball (Mixed Doubles Qualification, Match 2)
- Athletes: Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza / Mohamed Anas Imran Beg [India] vs Prince Agustin/Jhoana Abulencia [Philippines]
- Venue: Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center [Table 3]
11:00 AM — Teqball (Mixed Doubles Qualification, Match 5)
- Athletes: Dsouza/Beg [India] vs Thuonvireak Bun/Sophornraksmey Yorn [Cambodia]
- Venue: Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center [Table 2]
Related: Asian Games 2026 September 17 Results – Indian men’s teqball pair knocked out in group stage
12:30 PM — Teqball (Mixed Doubles Qualification, Match 7)
- Athletes: Dsouza/Beg [India] vs Phakpong Dejaroen/Suphawadi Wongkhamchan [Thailand]
- Venue: Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center [Table 1]
01:00 PM — Teqball (Mixed Doubles Qualification, Match 9)
- Athletes: Dsouza/Beg [India] vs Salman Alebraheem/Hessah Alfailakawi [Kuwait]
- Venue: Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center [Table 3]
- (Further progress depends on how the group goes)
10:30 AM — Women’s Cricket (Quarter-final)
- Match: India vs Japan
- Venue: Korogi Athletic Park, Aichi
When will the Indian women’s cricket team play Japan at the Asian Games 2026?
The India vs Japan women’s cricket quarter-final will be played on September 18, starting at 10:30 AM IST, at the Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi.
When will India’s day start on September 18 at Asian Games 2026?
India’s day will begin at 5:30 AM with the Men’s Soft Tennis Team Qualification.
Where & how to watch Asian Games 2026 in India?
In India, Sony Sports Network holds the broadcast rights. So fans can tune into Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 3 and Sony Sports Ten 4 to watch the event live on TV, while SonyLIV will be streaming the event online.
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