New Delhi, India, July 26, 2026: Defending gold medallists India has secured direct entry into the knockout stage in the men’s cricket competition at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.
Also drawn into the quarterfinals are the other seeded teams - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The 10-team men’s competition, which will get underway on September 24, will begin with a preliminary round featuring Afghanistan, Hong Kong China, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal and Oman competing for the remaining four quarterfinal berths.
Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal were drawn in Group A, while Hong Kong China, Malaysia and Oman were placed in Group B. The top two teams from each group will advance into the quarterfinals.
The women’s cricket tournament scheduled, from September 17-22, features eight teams and will begin at the quarterfinal stage. Defending champions India will face Japan, Bangladesh take on China, Sri Lanka will meet Malaysia and Pakistan play Thailand.
All matches in both competitions will be played in Twenty20 format.
