Defending champions India and Pakistan have been awarded direct entry into the quarterfinals of the men’s and women’s cricket competitions at the 2026 Asian Games, with the tournament set to be played in the T20 format at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
The cricket event will mark the fourth appearance of the sport at the continental multi-sport competition. The Indian women’s cricket team will begin its campaign against Japan in the group stage, while the men’s team will enter the tournament after the preliminary round, with their quarterfinal opponent yet to be decided. India’s women’s side, led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, will look to defend the gold medal won at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
In the women’s competition, India will face either Bangladesh or China in the semifinals after their opening match. A potential India-Pakistan encounter has not been ruled out in the final, setting up the possibility of another high-profile clash between the two traditional rivals on the international stage. The men’s cricket tournament will begin on September 24 and conclude on October 1. India’s men’s team, captained by Shreyas Iyer, could face Pakistan in the semifinals depending on the results of the knockout stage.
Pakistan, like India, has received a direct quarterfinal berth as one of the top-ranked participating teams. The men’s competition will feature 10 teams divided into two groups for the preliminary stage. Group A includes Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal, while Group B consists of Hong Kong China, Malaysia and Oman. The results from this stage will determine the teams advancing to the knockout rounds and deciding India’s quarterfinal opponent.
Both the men’s and women’s competitions will follow the T20 format, allowing teams to field strong squads and compete in the shortest format of international cricket. The inclusion of cricket at the Asian Games has provided an opportunity for emerging teams to compete against established cricketing nations and gain experience on a larger sporting platform. India enters the tournament as the defending champion in both categories after achieving a historic double gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The men’s and women’s teams will aim to continue their dominance and secure another successful campaign in Japan.
Cricket has previously featured at the Asian Games in Guangzhou 2010, Incheon 2014 and Hangzhou 2023. After missing from some editions of the Games, the sport’s return has increased interest among cricket-playing nations and added another major international competition to the calendar. With India and Pakistan placed on a possible collision course in the knockout stages, the cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games is expected to attract significant attention from fans across Asia. The tournament will also serve as an important platform for players and teams preparing for future international assignments.