India and Pakistan will enter the men’s cricket competition at the quarter-final stage as the Asian Games schedule confirms the knockout pathway.
The cricket schedule for the 2026 Asian Games has been confirmed, with India and Pakistan receiving direct entry into the men’s quarter-finals. The tournament will take place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with the men’s cricket competition scheduled from September 24 to October 3.
Unlike several other participating nations, India and Pakistan will not need to play in the opening group stage. Their positions in the tournament structure mean they will enter directly at the quarter-final stage, joining the teams that progress from the group phase.
Pakistan’s quarter-final is scheduled for September 28 against the second-placed team from Group B. India will also play their quarter-final on September 28, facing the second-placed team from Group A. The arrangement gives both regional heavyweights an opportunity to focus their preparations on the knockout stage.
The group-stage competition will feature Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal in Group A, while Group B contains Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman. The top teams from the respective groups will progress through the competition alongside the directly seeded quarter-finalists.
The tournament will provide an important opportunity for several nations to gain international experience. Japan, as the host nation, will begin its campaign against Afghanistan on September 24 before meeting Nepal two days later. The group matches will determine which sides advance to the quarter-final stage.
India will arrive with a strong squad for the competition, led by Shreyas Iyer. The squad includes established international names such as Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar and Ishan Kishan, alongside younger players including Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Pakistan will also field a squad featuring a mixture of experienced and emerging T20 players. Sahibzada Farhan has been named captain, with players including Saim Ayub, Haider Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Nawaz and Usman Khan among the squad members.
The knockout stage will begin on September 28, followed by the semi-finals on October 1. The bronze-medal match and final are scheduled for October 3, bringing the men’s cricket competition to a conclusion. With India and Pakistan entering directly in the quarter-finals, both teams will be expected to challenge strongly for medals.
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