With the women’s event done, the focus now shifts to the 2026 Asian Games men’s cricket competition. This will be the fourth time cricket takes place in the continental games.
So here’s all you need to know about the Asian Games men’s cricket competition 2026.
When does the Asian Games men’s cricket competition 2026 begin?
The men’s event starts on September 24, 2026. Hosts Japan will take on Afghanistan in the competition opener in Nisshin at 9:00 AM local time (5:30 AM IST).
Which teams are participating in the Asian Games men’s cricket competition 2026?
The men’s event will see 10 teams, two more than the women’s. Hosts Japan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka directly qualified for the games. India are also the defending champions, having won the gold in the 2023 games.
The other four teams, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal and Oman, made it through the Asian Games qualifier held in June 2026.
Teams in Asian Games Men’s Cricket Competition 2026:
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Hong Kong
- India
- Japan
- Malaysia
- Nepal
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
Is the format the same as the women’s event?
No. The men’s event starts with a group stage before the knockouts and the medal games.
So what are the groups then?
There are two groups of three teams each. Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal form Group A, while Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman are part of Group B.
These teams will play against each other in a single round-robin. The top two teams from each group then advance to the quarter-finals.
Asian Games Men’s Cricket Competition 2026 Groups
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Hong Kong |
| Japan | Malaysia |
| Nepla | Oman |
But what about the other four teams?
Well, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have already qualified for the quarter-finals for being the highest-ranked T20I teams in Asia.
So these teams will face one of the four sides that advance to the quarter-finals. Then the quarter-final winners will qualify for the semi-finals, with the winners competing for gold in the final. The two semi-final losers will play in the third-place playoff for bronze.
Which venue will host the matches?
The Korogi Sports Park in Aichi Prefecture’s Nisshin will host the entire competition. It’s a new cricket facility in Japan, built ahead of the Games.
The venue has natural grass pitches. And it can accommodate 2000 spectators with temporary stands. The venue recently hosted T20 World Cup qualifiers, marking its debut.
What’s the schedule for the Asian Games men’s cricket competition 2026?
So the group stage runs from September 24 to 26, with six games part of it.
The knockouts then start on September 28. Pakistan will face the No. 2 team from Group B in the first quarter-final, while the second quarter-final will see India take on the No. 2 team from Group A.
The third quarter-final is between Sri Lanka and the Group A toppers, while the fourth one will pit Bangladesh against the Group B toppers.
The semi-finals are on October 1, followed by the Bronze and Gold matches on October 3.
Asian Games Men’s Cricket Competition 2026 Schedule
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (Local/IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 24, 2026 | Afghanistan vs Japan | Nisshin | 9:00 AM/5:30 AM |
| Sep 24, 2026 | Hong Kong vs Malaysia | Nisshin | 1:30 PM/10:30 AM |
| Sep 25, 2026 | Hong Kong vs Oman | Nisshin | 9:00 AM/5:30 AM |
| Sep 25, 2026 | Afghanistan vs Nepal | Nisshin | 1:30 PM/10:30 AM |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Japan vs Nepal | Nisshin | 9:00 AM/5:30 AM |
| Sep 26, 2026 | Malaysia vs Oman | Nisshin | 1:30 PM/10:30 AM |
| Sep 28, 2026 | Quarter-Final 1: Pakistan vs B2 | Nisshin | 9:00 AM/5:30 AM |
| Sep 28, 2026 | Quarter-Final 2: India vs A2 | Nisshin | 1:30 PM/10:30 AM |
| Sep 29, 2026 | Quarter-Final 3: Sri Lanka vs A1 | Nisshin | 9:00 AM/5:30 AM |
| Sep 29, 2026 | Quarter-Final 4: Bangladesh vs B1 | Nisshin | 1:30 PM/10:30 AM |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Semi-Final 1 | Nisshin | 9:00 AM/5:30 AM |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Semi-Final 2: | Nisshin | 1:30 PM/10:30 AM |
| Oct 3, 2026 | 3rd Place Playoff (Bronze Medal Match) | Nisshin | 9:00 AM/5:30 AM |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Final (Gold Medal Match) | Nisshin | 1:30 PM/10:30 AM |
Ongoing & Upcoming Series Schedule:
Australia A Women Tour of India 2026: Schedule, Venues & Squad Details
England vs Sri Lanka Series 2026: Schedule, Venues, Squads, Broadcast Details
Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2026: Schedule
World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 Full Schedule
Indian Men’s Cricket Team 2026 Schedule
India Men’s Cricket Team 2026-27 Home Season Schedule
Indian Women’s Cricket Team 2026 Schedule
India’s Domestic Cricket Season 2026-27 Schedule
Australia Men’s Cricket Team 2026 Schedule
Australia Men’s Cricket Team 2026-27 Home Season Schedule
Australia Women’s Cricket Team 2026-27 Home Season Schedule
England Men’s Cricket Team 2026 Schedule
England 2026 Home Season Schedule
England Women’s Cricket Team 2026 Home Season Schedule
South Africa Men’s Cricket Team 2026 Schedule
South Africa 2026-27 Home Season Schedule
New Zealand Men’s Cricket Team 2026 Schedule
New Zealand 2026-27 Home Season Schedule
Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team 2026 Schedule
India’s ODI Schedule Till 2027 Cricket World Cup
Australia’s ODI Schedule Till 2027 Cricket World Cup
South Africa’s ODI Schedule Till 2027 Cricket World Cup
England’s ODI Schedule Till 2027 Cricket World Cup
What are the squads?
Here are the squads announced for the Asian Games men’s cricket competition 2026.
Afghanistan
Darwish Rasooli (c), Abdullah Ahmadzai, Mohammad Akram, Ismat Alam, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Hassan Eisakhil, Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Karim Janat, Faisal Khan, Nangialai Kharoti, Imran Mir, Arab Gul Momand, Farmanullah Safi, Khalid Taniwal, Najibullah Zadran
Bangladesh
Litton Das (c), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon (wk), Saif Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tawhid Hridoy (vc), Mosaddek Hossain, Yasir Ali, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud
Hong Kong
Yasim Murtaza (c), Babar Hayat (vc), Anas Khan, Anshy Rath, Shiv Mathur, Shahid Wasif, Hafeez Khan, Nasrulla Rana, Nizakat Khan, Rajab Hussain, Ehsan Khan, Mohammad Ghazanfar, Mohammad Waheed, Ayush Shukla, Mohammad Hassan Khan
India
Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vc), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur, Vipraj Nigam
Japan
Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (c), Charlie Hara-Hinze, Benjamin Ito-Davis, Alester Kadowaki-Fleming, Kohei Kubota, Jake Kusuda-Nairn, Wataru Miyauchi (wk), Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Alex Shirai-Patmore (wk), Shoma Sugaya-Slater, Declan Suzuki, Tsuyoshi Takada, Ibrahim Takahashi, Makoto Taniyama, Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake
Malaysia
Ainool Hafizs, Muhammad Amir, Muhammad Akram, Syed Aziz, Virandeep Singh, Sharvin Muniandy, Pavandeep Singh, Vijay Unni, Amir Khan, Aslam Khan, Azri Azhar, Muhamad Syahadat, Muhammad Haziq Aiman, Muhammad Wafiq, Rahim Khan
Nepal
Dipendra Singh Airee (c), Lokesh Bam (wk), Kushal Bhurtel, Gulshan Jha, Sundeep Jora, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Malla, Sher Malla, Rohit Paudel, Lalit Rajbanshi, Aarif Sheikh, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Nandan Yadav
Oman
Sufyan Mehmood (c), Muzaffar Shiralkar (vc, wk), Faris Al Balushi, Issa Al Balushi, Mohammed Al Balushi, Nawed Al Balushi, Qais Al Balushi, Shuaib Al Balushi, Waheed Al Balushi, Wasim Al Balushi, Zubair Al Balushi, Abdul Jalil (wk), Mohammed Othman, Sameer Othman, Ahmed Al Zadjali
Pakistan
Sahibzada Farhan (c), Abdul Samad (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Haider Ali, Saim Ayub, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Usman Khan (wk), Arafat Minhas, Salman Mirza, Saad Masood, Sufyan Moqim, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat
Sri Lanka
Sahan Arachchige (c), Ashen Bandara, Lasith Croospulle, Keshan de Livera, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Binura Fernando, Nuwanidu Fernando, Tharindu Hansaka, Dushan Hemantha, Sineth Jayawardena, Chamika Karunaratne, Pramod Madushan, Wanuja Sahan, Nuwan Thushara, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth
Where to watch the Asian Games men’s cricket competition 2026?
Sony Sports is the official broadcaster for the Asian Games 2026 in India. So you can watch all cricket fixtures on Sony Sports TV channels and stream them on Sony LIV.
Read Next | India’s Domestic Cricket Season 2026-27 Schedule