Asian Games Cricket Schedule 2026: Men’s & Women’s Fixtures
Asian Games Cricket Schedule 2026: Full Men’s & Women’s Fixtures, Dates & Times
Asian Games cricket returns in September 2026 with separate men’s and women’s T20 competitions in Japan. The Asian Games Cricket Schedule 2026 begins with the women’s event on September 17, while the men’s competition gets underway on September 24.
For India, there are two dates to circle immediately. Harmanpreet Kaur’s women’s side starts against Japan on September 18, while Shreyas Iyer-led India Men enter directly in the quarter-finals on September 28.
The official Aichi-Nagoya 2026 schedule confirms 22 cricket matches in total — eight women’s matches and 14 men’s matches — culminating with the men’s gold-medal match on October 3.
This page provides the complete Asian Games Cricket Schedule 2026, including men’s and women’s fixtures, dates, match timings in IST, groups, knockout matches and India’s route through the tournament.
The tournament features 10 men’s teams and eight women’s teams. Check the complete men’s and women’s team list to see all participating countries, men’s groups and the four teams seeded directly into the quarter-finals.
Asian Games Cricket Schedule 2026 – Key Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Women’s Cricket Starts | September 17 |
| India Women First Match | September 18 |
| Women’s Semi-finals | September 20 |
| Women’s Final | September 22 |
| Men’s Cricket Starts | September 24 |
| India Men Quarter-final | September 28 |
| Men’s Semi-finals | October 1 |
| Men’s Final | October 3 |
One unusual feature is that women’s cricket begins before the Asian Games opening ceremony on September 19. The overall Aichi-Nagoya Games run from September 19 to October 4.
Asian Games 2026 Women’s Cricket Schedule
Eight teams are involved in the women’s competition, and there is no lengthy league stage. The official draw sends the teams directly into knockout fixtures, making every match important from the opening day.
Here is the complete women’s schedule with Indian Standard Time (IST) converted from the official Japan timings.
| Date | Fixture | IST |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 17 | Bangladesh vs China | 5:30 AM |
| Sep 17 | Pakistan vs Thailand | 10:30 AM |
| Sep 18 | Sri Lanka vs Malaysia | 5:30 AM |
| Sep 18 | India vs Japan | 10:30 AM |
| Sep 20 | Semi-final 1 | 5:30 AM |
| Sep 20 | Semi-final 2 | 10:30 AM |
| Sep 22 | Bronze Medal Match | 5:30 AM |
| Sep 22 | Gold Medal Match / Final | 10:30 AM |
The official local start times are 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM in Japan, corresponding to 5:30 AM and 10:30 AM IST.
India Women Schedule at Asian Games 2026
India Women begin their gold-medal defence against hosts Japan on September 18 at 10:30 AM IST.
Their possible route is particularly simple:
India vs Japan → Semi-final → Gold/Bronze Medal Match
If India defeat Japan, they will advance to the September 20 semi-final against the winner of Bangladesh vs China.
That means India need only three victories to successfully defend their Asian Games gold medal.
India Women Possible Match Dates
| Stage | Date | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Knockout | Sep 18 | Japan |
| Semi-final* | Sep 20 | Bangladesh/China winner |
| Medal Match* | Sep 22 | TBD |
*Subject to qualification.
This short format leaves almost no margin for error. There is no group stage for India to recover from an early defeat.
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Cricket Schedule
The men’s competition is larger, with 10 participating teams.
Six teams compete in the preliminary group stage, while India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are seeded directly into the quarter-finals.
Men’s Group Stage Fixtures
| Date | Fixture | IST |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 24 | Afghanistan vs Japan | 5:30 AM |
| Sep 24 | Hong Kong, China vs Malaysia | 10:30 AM |
| Sep 25 | Hong Kong, China vs Oman | 5:30 AM |
| Sep 25 | Afghanistan vs Nepal | 10:30 AM |
| Sep 26 | Japan vs Nepal | 5:30 AM |
| Sep 26 | Malaysia vs Oman | 10:30 AM |
The top two teams from each group progress to the quarter-finals.
Asian Games Cricket 2026 Men’s Quarter-Final Schedule
The knockout stage starts on September 28.
| Date | Quarter-final | IST |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 28 | Pakistan vs Group B Runner-up | 5:30 AM |
| Sep 28 | India vs Group A Runner-up | 10:00 AM |
| Sep 29 | Sri Lanka vs Group A Winner | 5:30 AM |
| Sep 29 | Bangladesh vs Group B Winner | 10:00 AM |
One timing detail is worth noting.
The official schedule lists the later men’s knockout matches at 1:30 PM Japan time, rather than 2:00 PM used for the earlier matches. That converts to 10:00 AM IST.
Asian Games Cricket 2026 Semi-Final and Final Schedule
The four quarter-final winners move into two semi-finals on October 1.
| Date | Match | IST |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 1 | Semi-final 1 | 5:30 AM |
| Oct 1 | Semi-final 2 | 10:00 AM |
| Oct 3 | Bronze Medal Match | 5:30 AM |
| Oct 3 | Gold Medal Match / Final | 10:00 AM |
The men’s Asian Games cricket champion will therefore be decided on October 3, 2026.
India Men Schedule at Asian Games Cricket 2026
India have been given direct entry into the quarter-finals.
Their first Asian Games match is scheduled for:
India vs Group A Runner-up
Date: September 28, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM IST
Stage: Quarter-final
Group A contains Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal, meaning one of these three teams will become India’s quarter-final opponent.
If India win that game, they advance to the second semi-final on October 1 against the winner of the Sri Lanka quarter-final.
India’s Possible Road to Gold
September 28: Quarter-final
↓
October 1: Semi-final
↓
October 3: Gold-medal match
Like the women’s side, India Men potentially require only three victories to win gold.
Asian Games Cricket 2026 Men’s Groups
Before the knockout matches, six teams have been divided into two groups.
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Hong Kong, China |
| Japan | Malaysia |
| Nepal | Oman |
The four seeded teams are:
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
All four skip the preliminary group stage and advance directly to the last eight.
Full Asian Games Cricket Schedule 2026 – Date by Date
For readers who want the entire tournament in one place, here is the chronological calendar:
September 17: Bangladesh vs China; Pakistan vs Thailand
September 18: Sri Lanka vs Malaysia; India vs Japan
September 20: Women’s semi-finals
September 22: Women’s bronze match and final
September 24: Afghanistan vs Japan; Hong Kong, China vs Malaysia
September 25: Hong Kong, China vs Oman; Afghanistan vs Nepal
September 26: Japan vs Nepal; Malaysia vs Oman
September 28: Pakistan and India quarter-finals
September 29: Sri Lanka and Bangladesh quarter-finals
October 1: Men’s semi-finals
October 3: Men’s bronze match and final.
That gives the cricket competition a 17-day calendar span, although there are several rest days between stages.
Why India Enter the Tournament Later
Readers may notice that the men’s tournament begins on September 24 but India’s first Asian Games fixture is not until September 28.
That is because India are one of four seeded teams.
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have been placed directly into the knockout stage. The other six countries must first compete in Groups A and B to determine the remaining four quarter-finalists.
India therefore avoid the group stage entirely.
It is an advantage in terms of workload, but it also creates immediate knockout pressure. One defeat on September 28 would end India’s gold-medal defence.
India Have a Japan Warm-Up Before the Quarter-Final
Although India’s official Asian Games campaign begins on September 28, the men’s team is also expected to play Japan in a preparatory T20 on September 22 before entering the tournament knockout stage. Recent reporting says India will travel to Japan around September 20 ahead of that fixture.
This match should be kept separate from the official Asian Games fixture table because it is not one of the 22 Games cricket matches listed by the organizing committee.
For India, however, it could provide valuable adaptation time before the quarter-final.
Most Important Asian Games Cricket Dates for Indian Fans
If you primarily follow Team India, four dates matter most:
September 18 – India Women vs Japan
This is the start of India’s women’s gold-medal defence.
September 22 – Women’s Final
India will be aiming to reach the medal match for a chance to defend gold.
September 28 – India Men’s Quarter-final
Shreyas Iyer’s team enters the Games directly at the knockout stage.
October 3 – Men’s Final
This is the final step in India’s attempt to retain the men’s gold medal.
India’s men’s preparation has also received a late injury update: Harshit Rana has been ruled out and Yash Thakur has been named as his replacement.
Asian Games Cricket Schedule 2026 FAQs
When will Asian Games Cricket 2026 start?
Women’s cricket starts on September 17, 2026. Men’s cricket begins on September 24.
When is India vs Japan women’s cricket match?
India Women face Japan on September 18 at 10:30 AM IST according to the official schedule’s 2:00 PM Japan start time.
When will India Men play their first match?
India Men play their quarter-final on September 28 at 10:00 AM IST against the runner-up from Group A.
Which teams are in India’s potential quarter-final group?
India’s opponent will come from Afghanistan, Japan or Nepal, the three teams in Group A.
When are the Asian Games cricket semi-finals?
Women’s semi-finals are on September 20, while men’s semi-finals take place on October 1.
When is the Asian Games Cricket 2026 women’s final?
The women’s gold-medal match is scheduled for September 22 at 10:30 AM IST.
When is the Asian Games Cricket 2026 men’s final?
The men’s final takes place on October 3 at 10:00 AM IST.
What Happens Next?
The first cricket match of Aichi-Nagoya 2026 will see Bangladesh Women face China on September 17.
For Indian fans, attention quickly turns to September 18, when India Women begin their title defence against hosts Japan.
The men’s competition then begins on September 24, with India entering four days later.
TeamStats.in will update this Asian Games Cricket Schedule 2026 as opponents are confirmed and the tournament progresses through the knockout stages.
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