Asian Games 2026 Cricket Draw: India, Pakistan Among Four Teams Given Direct Quarterfinal Entry
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have been handed direct entry into the quarterfinals of the men’s cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games, which will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The four seeded teams will be joined in the knockout stage by four teams progressing from the qualifying round.
India will head into the tournament as the defending champions, having won gold in both the men’s and women’s cricket competitions at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Afghanistan to Play Qualifying Round
Unlike the four seeded teams, Afghanistan will have to progress through the qualifying stage despite finishing with the silver medal at the previous Asian Games.
Six teams have been divided into two groups of three.
Afghanistan have been placed in Group A alongside hosts Japan and Nepal, while Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Oman make up Group B.
Every team will play the other two sides in its group once. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals.
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Cricket Qualifying Groups
Group A: Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal
Group B: Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Oman
The four qualifiers will then join India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the eight-team knockout stage.
India Women to Face Japan in Quarterfinal
The women’s competition will follow a different format, beginning directly with the quarterfinals.
Defending champions India will face hosts Japan, while Pakistan have been drawn against Thailand.
Sri Lanka will take on Malaysia, with Bangladesh facing the People’s Republic of China.
Asian Games 2026 Women’s Cricket Quarterfinals
- Thailand vs Pakistan
- Malaysia vs Sri Lanka
- People’s Republic of China vs Bangladesh
- Japan vs India
The knockout format means every game will be crucial, with one defeat potentially ending a team’s hopes of winning a medal.
India Enter as Defending Champions
India enjoyed a memorable campaign when cricket returned to the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023.
Both the Indian men’s and women’s teams won gold medals, and they will now travel to Japan attempting to successfully defend their titles.
India’s direct entry into the men’s quarterfinals also means they will need to win only three knockout matches to retain the gold medal.
When Will Asian Games 2026 Cricket Begin?
The women’s cricket tournament is scheduled to run from September 17 to September 22.
The men’s competition will follow shortly afterwards, beginning on September 24 and concluding on October 1.
With India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan all involved, cricket is once again expected to be one of the major attractions at the Asian Games.
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