Asian Games 2026, Cricket: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh secure direct knockout entries
Cricket’s return to the Asian Games continues to grow in importance for national boards across the continent. Direct qualification for the traditional powers, combined with a competitive qualifying path for others, creates a balanced format that rewards both established strength and emerging talent.
Four of Asia’s strongest men’s cricket sides will skip the qualifying stage and head straight into the knockout rounds at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been given direct entry into the quarterfinals of the men’s competition, according to the official draw.
The decision places these four teams among the top seeds for the tournament. They will wait for the remaining four quarterfinal spots to be filled by teams advancing from a short qualifying round. The arrangement ensures the strongest nations enter the medal race later in the event while giving emerging sides a clear path to test themselves against the best.
Men’s qualifying groups announced
Six teams will fight for the four remaining quarterfinal berths. They have been divided into two groups of three. Group A features Afghanistan, the silver medallists from the 2023 Asian Games, along with hosts Japan and Nepal. Group B consists of Malaysia, Oman and Hong Kong, China.
Each side will play the other two teams in its group once. The top two finishers from Group A and the top two from Group B will progress to the quarterfinals. Those four qualifiers will then join India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the last-eight stage.
Afghanistan enter the qualifying phase as clear favourites after their strong showing three years ago. Japan, playing on home soil, will look to use local support to push for a surprise qualification. Nepal, Malaysia, Oman and Hong Kong will all treat the short group stage as a valuable opportunity to gain experience against higher-ranked opposition.
Women’s draw starts at quarterfinal stage
The women’s cricket competition will begin directly at the quarterfinals. No qualifying round is planned. The four ties are:
India versus Japan
Pakistan versus Thailand
Sri Lanka versus Malaysia
Bangladesh versus People’s Republic of China
India, the defending champions, face the hosts in what should be an intriguing opening contest. Pakistan take on Thailand, Sri Lanka meet Malaysia, and Bangladesh are drawn against China. The structure guarantees every participating team at least one high-stakes knockout match.
Defending champions and tournament schedule
India remain the team to beat in both the men’s and women’s events. The side claimed gold in both formats at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou and will arrive in Japan as clear favourites once again. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh also carry strong recent records and will expect to challenge for medals.
The women’s tournament runs from 17 to 22 September 2026. The men’s competition follows immediately afterwards, from 24 September to 1 October. All matches will be staged in the Aichi-Nagoya region.
About the Author
Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. <br><br> Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. <br><br> Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. <br><br> She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.
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