The cricket schedule for the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, has been released, confirming T20-format matches with full international status and outlining a bracket that makes an India vs Pakistan meeting possible only once—either in a semi-final or in the final. The multi-sport event runs from September 19 to October 4, with women’s cricket beginning on September 17 and the men’s tournament starting on September 24.
India will arrive as defending champions in both men’s and women’s cricket after winning gold medals at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China, adding extra significance to the schedule reveal as teams map their routes through the knockout stages.
Men’s tournament: top seeds into quarters, groups decide the rest
In the men’s competition, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have directly qualified for the quarter-finals as the top-seeded teams. The remaining four quarter-final places will be decided via group play, with teams split across two pools.
Group A features Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal, while Group B includes Hong Kong China, Malaysia and Oman. The top two teams from each group will progress to the Top 8 stage, completing the quarter-final lineup alongside the four top seeds.
The bracket structure also defines the limits of a potential India-Pakistan showdown. According to the released schedule format, the highly anticipated clash can happen only once at the Asian Games—either in one of the semi-finals or in the final—meaning the two sides cannot meet earlier in the tournament.
India’s men’s side will be led by Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma named vice-captain. The squad also includes young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has been selected in India’s 15-member men’s squad for the Games.
Women’s tournament: India drawn against Japan in the last eight
In the women’s competition, India’s path begins in the last-eight stage, where the Women in Blue will face hosts Japan. A win in that quarter-final would take Harmanpreet Kaur’s side into a semi-final against either Bangladesh or China, with those teams placed in the same half of the bracket.
India’s leadership group remains settled for the tournament, with Harmanpreet continuing as captain and Smriti Mandhana serving as vice-captain.
Elsewhere in the women’s quarter-finals, Sri Lanka are set to play Malaysia. Pakistan will open their campaign against Thailand, with the winners moving on to the second semi-final.
Key takeaways: dates, format and what the draw means
The schedule confirms cricket’s fourth appearance at the Asian Games and underlines the importance of the competition for international records, with all matches to be played in T20 format and carrying full international status. With women’s cricket starting on September 17 and the men’s tournament beginning on September 24, teams have clear start points and knockout routes.
For fans, the biggest headline is the conditional nature of an India-Pakistan contest: the draw makes it possible only in the semi-finals or the final, ensuring that if it happens, it will come at the business end of the tournament. For India, the defending champion tag in both competitions adds further weight to the campaign as the teams look to replicate their Hangzhou 2023 gold-medal success in Japan.
