India’s men’s cricket team has secured direct qualification for the knockout stage of the Asian Games 2026, while the women’s team will face Japan in the quarterfinals following the tournament draw.
(Photo: IANS/X/@BCCI)
India’s men’s cricket team has secured a direct place in the knockout stage of the 2026 Asian Games after the tournament draw was announced on Thursday.
India, along with Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, received direct qualification to the knockout phase based on their rankings, while Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal and Oman will compete in the preliminary round for the remaining four spots.
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The draw also confirmed the fixtures for the women’s cricket tournament, with defending champions India set to face Japan in the quarterfinals.
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The other quarterfinal matches are:
The women’s competition will be held from September 17 to 22, while the men’s tournament is scheduled from September 24 to October 1.
The men’s preliminary stage will feature two groups:
Group A: Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal
Group B: Hong Kong, Malaysia, Oman
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout stage, joining India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
All matches will be played in Nagoya, Japan, in the T20 format.
India enter the Games as defending champions in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
The men’s team won gold at the 2023 Asian Games after the rain-hit final against Afghanistan was abandoned, with India declared champions as the higher-seeded side.
The women’s team also claimed gold after defeating Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the final, and will be aiming to defend its title in Nagoya.
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