Nagoya, Japan, July 28 (SPORTS DESK)
The official draw for the cricket competitions at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games has been announced, outlining the route for India’s men’s and women’s teams as they aim to defend the gold medals they won at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
India Women to Face Japan
The Indian women’s cricket team will begin its title defence against hosts Japan in the quarter-finals. A victory will send India into the semi-finals, where they will face either Bangladesh or China.
The remaining women’s quarter-final fixtures are:
- Sri Lanka vs Malaysia
- Pakistan vs Thailand
Women’s Semi-Finals
- India/Japan vs Bangladesh/China
- Sri Lanka/Malaysia vs Pakistan/Thailand
India Men Seeded Directly into Quarter-Finals
The Indian men’s team has been seeded alongside Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, earning a direct place in the quarter-finals.
Before the knockout stage begins, six unseeded nations will compete in a preliminary round for the remaining four quarter-final spots.
watch…..India Seal Dominant 3-0 T20I Series Win, Vaibhav Bags Match and Series Awards
Men’s Preliminary Groups
Group A
- Afghanistan
- Japan
- Nepal
Group B
- Hong Kong China
- Malaysia
- Oman
Men’s Quarter-Finals
- India vs Qualifier
- Pakistan vs Qualifier
- Sri Lanka vs Qualifier
- Bangladesh vs Qualifier
Tournament Schedule
The women’s cricket tournament will take place from September 17 to 22, while the men’s competition is scheduled from September 24 to October 1.
All matches will be played in the T20 International format at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Indian Squads
The Indian men’s team will be captained by Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain. Rising teenage star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has also earned a place in the 15-member squad.
The Indian women’s side will once again be led by Harmanpreet Kaur, while Smriti Mandhana has been named vice-captain.
watch…wDCA Moga, BECC Dominate Sunday League with Big Wins
India Eye Back-to-Back Gold Medals
India enters both tournaments as the defending champions after claiming gold medals in the men’s and women’s cricket events at the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games, where cricket made its successful return to the continental event.
The Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games will mark cricket’s fourth appearance at the Asian Games, following Guangzhou 2010, Incheon 2014, and Hangzhou 2023.
Looking ahead, cricket is also set to return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028, marking its first Olympic appearance since 1900.
