The Men’s T20 cricket competition at the Asian Games 2026 is set to begin on September 24 in Nisshin, Aichi, Japan. Ten teams will compete for the gold medal, with the final scheduled for October 3. India, the defending champions, will enter the tournament directly at the quarter-final stage.
India won the men’s cricket gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou and will look to defend its title in Aichi-Nagoya. Shreyas Iyer will lead the Indian side, with Jasprit Bumrah among the key names in the squad. Young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is also part of the team.
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Asian Games 2026 Men’s Cricket Format
The men’s tournament will be played in the T20 format. Six teams will begin in the preliminary stage, split into Group A and Group B, with three teams in each group. The top two teams from both groups will advance to the quarter-finals.
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have received direct entry into the quarter-final stage. India will play the second-placed team from Group A, while Pakistan will meet the second-placed team from Group B. Sri Lanka will face the Group A winner and Bangladesh will take on the Group B winner.
Teams in Asian Games 2026 Men’s Cricket
The 10 participating teams are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Group A consists of Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal, while Group B features Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will join the competition from the knockout stage.
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Cricket Full Schedule
The preliminary round begins on September 24, with Afghanistan taking on Japan in the opening match. Hong Kong will then face Malaysia later the same day.
On September 25, Hong Kong will play Oman, followed by Afghanistan’s match against Nepal. The group stage concludes on September 26 with Japan facing Nepal and Malaysia taking on Oman.
The quarter-finals begin on September 28. Pakistan will face the second-placed team from Group B at 5:30 AM IST, followed by India’s quarter-final against the second-placed team from Group A at 10:30 AM IST.
The remaining quarter-finals are scheduled for September 29, with Sri Lanka facing the Group A winner and Bangladesh meeting the Group B winner.
The semi-finals will be played on October 1, followed by the bronze-medal match and gold-medal final on October 3. The final is scheduled for 10:30 AM IST.
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Asian Games 2026 Cricket Schedule: Date and Time
September 24: Afghanistan vs Japan — 5:30 AM IST.
September 24: Hong Kong vs Malaysia — 10:30 AM IST.
September 25: Hong Kong vs Oman — 5:30 AM IST.
September 25: Afghanistan vs Nepal — 10:30 AM IST.
September 26: Japan vs Nepal — 5:30 AM IST.
September 26: Malaysia vs Oman — 10:30 AM IST.
September 28: Pakistan vs second-placed Group B team — 5:30 AM IST.
September 28: India vs second-placed Group A team — 10:30 AM IST.
September 29: Sri Lanka vs Group A winner — 5:30 AM IST.
September 29: Bangladesh vs Group B winner — 10:30 AM IST.
October 1: Semi-final 1 — 5:30 AM IST.
October 1: Semi-final 2 — 10:30 AM IST.
October 3: Bronze-medal match — 5:30 AM IST.
October 3: Gold-medal match — 10:30 AM IST.
All men’s cricket matches are scheduled to be played at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture.
When Will India Play in Asian Games 2026?
India’s first match will be the second quarter-final on September 28. The match is scheduled for 10:30 AM IST, with India set to face the team that finishes second in Group A.
The opponent will be confirmed after the Group A matches involving Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal are completed on September 26.
If India progresses, its semi-final is scheduled for October 1 at 10:30 AM IST. A place in the gold-medal match would then take India to the final on October 3 at 10:30 AM IST.
India Squad for Asian Games 2026
India’s updated squad includes Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Vipraj Nigam and Yash Thakur.
Vipraj Nigam was added after Varun Chakravarthy was ruled out with a side strain. Earlier, Yash Thakur had replaced Harshit Rana after Rana was ruled out with an injury.
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Cricket Squads
Afghanistan will be led by Darwish Rasooli, while Bangladesh’s squad is headed by Litton Das. Nepal will be captained by Dipendra Singh Airee, Pakistan by Sahibzada Farhan and Sri Lanka by Sahan Arachchige.
Other notable players include Sandeep Lamichhane and Kushal Bhurtel for Nepal, Saim Ayub for Pakistan and Niroshan Dickwella for Sri Lanka.
The ICC has published the announced squads for the men’s Asian Games cricket competition, with squad updates subject to changes before the tournament.
Asian Games 2026 Cricket Live Telecast in India
Indian viewers can follow the Asian Games 2026 action through Sony Sports Network, which is carrying the tournament coverage in India. SonyLIV is also listed as the streaming platform for the Games.
Asian Games 2026 Cricket Live Streaming
Fans looking to watch the men’s cricket matches online can use the SonyLIV app and website. The streaming schedule and availability may vary by match and platform listings, so viewers should check the latest SonyLIV schedule before the game.
With India entering as defending champions and a number of established international players in the squad, the men’s cricket competition is set for an action-packed finish in Nisshin. The first major date for Indian fans is September 28, when Shreyas Iyer’s side begins its campaign in the quarter-finals.
