Asian Games 2026 Mens Cricket Schedule Teams Predictions

Asian Games 2026 Men's Cricket: Full Guide — Schedule, Groups, Squads, Pitch Conditions and Our Predictions

What is the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket schedule?

The men's T20I tournament runs September 24 to October 3 at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Preliminary rounds are September 24–26, quarter-finals on September 28–29, semi-finals on October 1, and the gold and bronze medal matches are both played on October 3.

Which 10 teams are playing in the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket tournament?

India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and hosts Japan all qualified directly. Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Oman came through the Asian Games Men's Cricket Qualifier held in Singapore, with Oman making Asian Games cricket history by qualifying for the very first time.

Cricket is back in Japan, and the men's tournament at Asian Games 2026 is the most loaded 10-team T20I competition outside an ICC event. Full international status. ICC ranking points on the line. And a direct pathway to Olympic cricket at Los Angeles 2028 built into the result.

India arrive as defending champions. Pakistan have sent a young, hungry squad with Sahibzada Farhan captaining fresh off the highest run-scoring performance of the 2026 T20 World Cup cycle. Afghanistan's spin depth makes them dangerous on every surface. And the hybrid pitch at Korogi Sports Park — a converted baseball stadium in Nisshin, 20 kilometres from Nagoya — has already played tricks on what people expected from Japanese conditions.

Here is everything you need.

The Venue: Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin

Korogi Sports Park is a remodelled baseball facility completed in late March 2026. It sits in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture, roughly 20 kilometres from Nagoya city centre. The ground hosted its first international cricket event — the ICC Men's T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier — just months before the Asian Games, giving it a head start over most purpose-built cricket venues in Asia.

Temporary stands bring capacity to 2,000 for the Asian Games. The ground has multiple playing strips and dedicated practice nets.

Pitch Conditions: What to Expect at Korogi

This is where South Asian cricket fans get caught off guard.

Korogi Sports Park uses a hybrid pitch — the same technology as Vanuatu's surface in Port Vila, which was the first hybrid wicket to host international cricket. The pitch combines natural grass with an artificial backing. It holds its shape longer than a traditional strip, produces more consistent bounce, and doesn't deteriorate at the same rate across 20 overs.

The EAP Qualifier played here in 2026 produced a 359-run encounter between Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands. Japan Cricket Association's Miyaji called the outfield "really good" and the pitch "played well." Multiple analysts compared Korogi's surface to pitches in Pakistan — offering both bounce and turn.

That comparison deserves unpacking.

What the pitch favors: Genuine pace bowlers get carry rather than the ball dying into the surface. Jasprit Bumrah's skiddy bounce, Ahmed Daniyal's aggression, Afghanistan's express pacers — they'll find something from ball one. Quality spinners also benefit throughout all 20 overs, not just after the 10th. Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Sufyan Moqim, and Afghanistan's wrist spinners are all well-suited to this surface.

What it doesn't favor: Flat-bat sloggers who rely on slow, low pitches to time the ball through the leg side. Batters who play spin by sweeping rather than using footwork will struggle when the ball bounces sharper than expected.

How it differs from the subcontinent: Karachi, Lahore, Dhaka, and Colombo produce dry, slow, low wickets. The ball grips the surface, spinners take over after 10 overs, and dew in the second innings is a real tactical factor. Korogi is the opposite — firmer, bouncier, and September in Aichi brings temperatures around 22–25°C with significantly less dew than South Asian evening conditions. Teams will think twice before automatically choosing to bowl second.

The short version: this surface rewards good cricket. It's not flat enough to guarantee 200+ scores, and it's not a turner that suits one style. It's a middle-ground pitch where the better team usually wins.

Teams, Groups, and Format

The top four seeded nations get direct byes to the quarter-finals. The remaining six teams play preliminary rounds across three days — one team per group progresses, and one goes home.

Seeded Teams — Direct Quarter-Final Entry

Group A (Preliminary Round — September 24–26)

Group B (Preliminary Round — September 24–26)

Sri Lanka are the clear favorites in Group B — as the only ICC Full Member in the group, they should progress without major difficulty. Group A is the more competitive draw. Nepal are the top-ranked qualifier team, having gone unbeaten through the Singapore qualifier — they beat China by 221 runs posting 313/2, then crushed Malaysia by 167 runs, before beating Hong Kong in the final. Kushal Bhurtel scored back-to-back T20I centuries and is the form batter of the entire qualifier process. Japan, playing at home with prior pitch knowledge from the EAP Qualifier, will be motivated in front of their own fans. Hong Kong finished second in the qualifier — they beat Bahrain and pushed Oman close — and are capable of upsetting Japan. Every match from September 24 to 26 is knockout cricket for all six preliminary teams.

All 10 Teams

Full Schedule — Men's Tournament

All times in JST (Japan Standard Time) and IST (India Standard Time). All matchdays are double-headers.

⏰ JST = UTC+9 | IST = UTC+5:30 | PKT = UTC+5 | All times are same-day morning starts for South Asian fans — ideal viewing window before the afternoon.

Our Men's Tournament Predictions

🥇 Gold: India

The most complete squad at the tournament by some distance. Bumrah at the death, Arshdeep in the powerplay, Varun Chakravarthy through the middle, and a top order with three T20 World Cup gold medalists. The Korogi hybrid surface suits Bumrah's skiddy bounce and Chakravarthy's variations more than any flat Asian pitch would. India are defending champions, they've sent their strongest available squad, and there is no obvious path to beating them if they play close to their level.

🥈 Silver: Afghanistan

Afghanistan are the most dangerous knockout team in Asian cricket. Their spin attack — multiple wrist spinners who vary pace and extract turn — is tailor-made for the Korogi surface. Their batting has also matured significantly. The 2023 Asian Games final was washed out with Afghanistan well-placed chasing India's total. They've been waiting three years for a rematch on a pitch that suits them.

🥉 Bronze: Pakistan

Young squad, experienced captain, a surface that rewards both pace and spin — Pakistan's strengths line up well with what Korogi offers. Sufyan Moqim's form coming off a dominant PSL season gives them a clear match-winner in the middle overs. Saim Ayub and Farhan at the top give them a genuine platform. The quarter-final draw matters, but Pakistan on the podium is more likely than not.

Dark Horse: Bangladesh

Bangladesh are underrated in every Asian Games prediction and keep proving it wrong. Shakib Al Hasan's era is over, but Towhid Hridoy and Tanzid Hasan Tamim give them real firepower in the top order. Their spinners, on a surface that offers turn from the first over, are a legitimate threat to any seeded team in the quarters.

Qualifier Dark Horse: Nepal

Nepal went unbeaten through the Singapore qualifier, posted two 300-plus scores, and have Kushal Bhurtel in the form of his career. If they top Group A and draw a favorable quarter-final against the fourth seed, they have the batting to post a total that any side would find difficult to chase on the Korogi surface. Don't write them off before the preliminary round is even finished.

Confirmed Squads

As of June 2026, only India and Pakistan have officially announced their Asian Games squads. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Japan, Nepal, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Oman are expected to announce their squads closer to the tournament. This section will be updated as confirmations come in.

🇮🇳 India

Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma (vc), Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah was rested for the T20I tours of Ireland and England as part of workload management ahead of the 2027 World Cup. BCCI brought him back specifically for the Asian Games — that tells you how seriously India are treating this. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at 15 becomes the youngest player ever selected for an Indian team at an international multi-sport event, after scoring 776 runs in 16 IPL 2026 matches for Rajasthan Royals.

🇵🇰 Pakistan

Sahibzada Farhan (c), Abdul Samad (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan (wk)

No Babar Azam, no Shaheen Afridi, no Shadab Khan. This is a deliberately young group, and PCB made that call intentionally. Farhan captains after leading Pakistan's run-scoring in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Four players — Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat, and Saad Masood — haven't earned a T20I cap yet. The Asian Games is their audition. Sufyan Moqim arrives as the PSL 2026 Player of the Series after taking 22 wickets for Peshawar Zalmi.

🇳🇵 Nepal

Squad not yet officially announced

Nepal arrive as the form team of the entire qualification process. Kushal Bhurtel scored 129 off 43 balls against China and followed it with another century against Malaysia — two back-to-back T20I hundreds in the same qualifier, making Nepal the first team ever to post multiple 300-plus T20I scores. Dipendra Singh Airee played his 100th T20I during the qualifier. Captain Rohit Paudel leads a squad with genuine pace, quality spin through Sandeep Lamichhane, and now a batter in Bhurtel who is arguably the most in-form Associate player in Asia. Once the official squad is confirmed, this section will be updated.

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

Squad not yet officially announced

Hong Kong reached the qualifier final, losing only to Nepal across the entire Singapore tournament. Nizakat Khan has over 100 T20I appearances and is one of the most experienced captains in Associate cricket. Their spin attack, led by Ehsan Khan who finished among the leading wicket-takers in the qualifier, suits the Korogi surface well. In Group A, they're the team Japan have to be most worried about. Official squad announcement expected closer to September.

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

Squad not yet officially announced

Afghanistan are the most dangerous spin-bowling team in Asia and the only side capable of consistently threatening India in a knockout game. Their wrist spin attack — capable of bowling different variations and extracting turn in all conditions — fits the Korogi hybrid surface well. They were well-placed chasing India's total in the 2023 Asian Games final before the match was washed out. The gold medal rematch is what everyone in Afghanistan cricket has been building toward. Official squad expected in August 2026.

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

Squad not yet officially announced

Bangladesh are a seeded team that consistently gets underestimated in Asian Games prediction cycles. With Shakib Al Hasan's era now over, the squad has rebuilt around Towhid Hridoy and Tanzid Hasan Tamim in the top order, and a spin bowling unit that will be well-suited to a surface offering turn from the first over. They have the depth to reach the semi-finals. Official squad expected in August 2026.

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

Squad not yet officially announced

Sri Lanka are the top-seeded team in Group B and should progress to the quarter-finals without major difficulty — they're the only ICC Full Member in a group with Malaysia and Oman. Their overall squad depth in T20 cricket is strong, with experienced match-winners in both batting and bowling. The Asian Games gives them a chance to win a gold medal they've never claimed despite reaching multiple finals. Official squad expected in August 2026.

🇯🇵 Japan

Squad not yet officially announced

Japan are the host nation and playing in front of their home crowd at a ground they've already competed at — Korogi Sports Park hosted the EAP Qualifier earlier in 2026 and Japan played six of those fixtures there. Home pitch knowledge is their biggest advantage. They'll need it: Group A has Nepal, the strongest qualifier team, and Hong Kong, who reached the qualifier final. Japan's pathway to the quarter-finals is narrow but not impossible. Official squad expected in August 2026.

🇲🇾 Malaysia

Squad not yet officially announced

Malaysia qualified from Group A of the Singapore qualifier, finishing as runners-up to Nepal. They defeated China in their opening fixture and showed enough to earn their Asian Games spot. They'll need significant improvement to challenge Sri Lanka in Group B, but their qualification alone represents real progress for Malaysian cricket. Official squad expected closer to September.

🇴🇲 Oman

Squad not yet officially announced

Oman are making history at the Asian Games 2026 — this is their first-ever appearance in Asian Games cricket. Led by Jatinder Singh, they hold ICC ODI status and carry one of the strongest programs in Associate Asian cricket. Their opening win over Singapore in the qualifier via DLS showed their composure in tricky conditions. They face Sri Lanka in Group B, which is a steep ask, but Oman are not there just to make up the numbers. Official squad expected closer to September.

Where to Watch — TV and Live Streaming

India & Subcontinent Sony Pictures Networks India has secured exclusive broadcast rights for the Asian Games 2026. All cricket matches — men's and women's — will be televised across Sony Sports Network channels and streamed live on the Sony LIV platform.

Free option for India: Check olympics.com closer to September for any free streaming of Asian Games cricket — their platform carried live scores during the qualifiers.

Pakistan

Pakistan No dedicated Asian Games 2026 broadcast deal has been officially confirmed for Pakistan yet. Based on existing rights holders for cricket in Pakistan, the most likely broadcasters are:

⚠️ Pakistan broadcast confirmation expected closer to August 2026. Check PCB and PTV Sports official channels for the official announcement.

Bangladesh

Rest of World

📌 Note: Asian Games 2026 cricket broadcast rights for several regions — including the UK, Australia, North America, and Southeast Asia — have not been officially confirmed as of June 2026. This section will be updated as deals are announced.

Every match at Asian Games 2026 carries full ICC T20I status, which means bilateral series points are on the line for every team on the field. For China, Malaysia, and Thailand, competing against full ICC Member nations in an official international setting is the biggest exposure their women's programs have ever had.

The 2028 Olympics pathway is the bigger picture. Asian Games cricket acts as the primary qualification route for Olympic cricket at Los Angeles 2028. Where teams finish in Japan directly shapes which Asian nations carry the women's game into its first Olympic appearance.

The women's gold medal final is September 22, 2:00 PM JST — 10:30 AM IST, 10:00 AM PKT. The men's tournament hasn't even started yet. These matches deserve the same attention.

Why This Tournament Matters Beyond the Medal

Every match carries full ICC T20I status and affects the world rankings. For four uncapped Pakistani players, this could be the first cap that defines a career. For Sooryavanshi at 15, it's the biggest stage he's played on by a long way.

The 2028 Olympics angle is real. Asian Games cricket acts as the primary qualification pathway for cricket's Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028. Where teams finish in Japan will shape which Asian nations represent the game on its biggest global stage.

The gold medal final is October 3, 2:00 PM JST — 10:30 AM IST, 10:00 AM PKT. Morning cricket. Easy viewing for the subcontinent.