Cricket at the Asian Games 2026 is played in T20 format at Korogi Athletic Park in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture. The women's tournament runs 17-22 September and the men's 24 September to 3 October. India are the defending champions in both.
India's women open their campaign against Japan in the quarter-final on 18 September, having received a bye through the opening round.
Key dates
- Women's tournament: 17-22 September 2026
- India women's first match: quarter-final vs Japan, 18 September
- Men's tournament: 24 September - 3 October 2026
- Men's semi-finals: 1 October
- Men's bronze and gold medal matches: 3 October
- Venue: Korogi Athletic Park, Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Japan is IST +3 hours 30 minutes. A match starting at 10:00 AM local time in Aichi begins at 6:30 AM IST. Exact start times per fixture had not been published in full at the time of writing — check the official schedule closer to each match rather than assuming a fixed slot.
The format, and why it counts
All matches are T20s with full international status. That is a meaningful change: runs and wickets here go into players' T20I records rather than being treated as exhibition fixtures.
Ten teams contest the men's tournament and eight the women's. Korogi Athletic Park is a newly developed cricket venue built to international competition standards — it has no established record of how it plays, so form lines from other grounds should be treated carefully.
India men's squad
Shreyas Iyer captains, with Tilak Varma as vice-captain.
Squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Thakur, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Several of these players are currently in Delhi for the T20I series against Afghanistan, which finishes on 17 September — a week before the men's tournament begins.
India women's squad
Harmanpreet Kaur captains.
Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Gunalan Kamalini, Bharti Fulmali, Sree Charani, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Nandani Sharma.
What India are defending
India won both the men's and women's cricket golds at the previous edition, so both squads arrive as defending champions. India are also defending titles in kabaddi, and the men's hockey team enters as defending champion.
Frequently asked questions
When does cricket start at the Asian Games 2026?
The women's tournament begins on 17 September 2026 and the men's on 24 September. India's women play their quarter-final against Japan on 18 September.
Where is Asian Games cricket being played?
Korogi Athletic Park in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture, Japan — a newly built venue developed to international standards.
Do Asian Games cricket matches have international status?
Yes. All matches are T20s with full international status, so performances count towards players' T20I records.
Who captains India at the Asian Games 2026?
Shreyas Iyer captains the men's team with Tilak Varma as vice-captain. Harmanpreet Kaur captains the women's team.
Is India defending the cricket gold medal?
Yes, in both the men's and women's tournaments.
What time will India's matches start in IST?
Japan runs 3 hours 30 minutes ahead of IST, so a 10:00 AM local start is 6:30 AM IST. Per-fixture start times had not been fully published at the time of writing.