Asian Games 2026: The schedule for the 2026 Asian Games has been released: The excitement of cricket at the 2026 Asian Games is set to begin in Japan. The women's tournament will start on September 17th, and the men's matches will commence on September 24th. Both Indian teams have a chance to win a medal.
The excitement of cricket at the 2026 Asian Games will be witnessed in Japan this time. The Asian Games organizers released the schedule for the cricket tournament on Sunday, with matches to be played from September 17 to October 3. This cricket tournament, to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, will begin nine days before the opening ceremony, unlike some other sports.
When will the women's cricket matches be played?
The women's cricket competition will begin on September 17, with the medal matches starting on September 22. A total of eight teams will participate in this competition, with India entering as the defending champions. The women's cricket tournament will follow a direct knockout format from the quarter-finals onwards, meaning that the losing team in each match will be eliminated from the tournament.
10 teams to participate in men's cricket:
The men's cricket tournament is scheduled to begin on September 24, while the medal matches will be held from October 3. A total of 10 teams will participate. If the men's competition follows the format of the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, the top four seeded teams will qualify directly for the quarter-finals. The remaining six teams will play preliminary matches to determine the other four quarter-finalists.
Match timings and venue:
There will be double-headers on all match days. The morning matches will start at 9:00 AM local time, which is 5:30 AM Indian Standard Time (IST). The afternoon matches will start at 2:00 PM in Japan, which is 10:30 AM IST. All matches will be played at the Koroji Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture.
India's preparation and previous record:
In the 2023 Asian Games, India fielded teams in both the men's and women's categories. The men's team comprised young players and was captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad. The team performed brilliantly, defeating Nepal and Bangladesh, and won the gold medal based on rankings after the final was canceled due to rain. Similar performance is expected from the Indian team this time as well.
