India to meet Group A runner-up in Asian Games 2026 quarter-final
India will begin their men's cricket campaign at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with their first match scheduled for September 28 against the team that finishes second in Group A. That quarter-final is set to be played at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin as part of the tournament's knockout stage.
The men's cricket tournament at the Asian Games is being played in the T20 format from September 24 to October 3 and features ten teams. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have direct entry into the quarter-finals based on ICC rankings, meaning they do not take part in the group stage. India enter the event as the defending gold-medal winners, having won the title at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Group A comprises Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal, with the three sides scheduled to play each other once between September 24 and 26. The order of matches is Afghanistan vs Japan first, followed by Afghanistan vs Nepal and then Japan vs Nepal. The top two teams from that group will advance to the quarter-finals, with the second-placed side drawn to face India in the second quarter-final.
Because of their direct quarter-final berth, India will not appear in any group fixtures and will begin their campaign in the knockout phase. The squad for the Games is led by Shreyas Iyer, who serves as captain, with Tilak Varma named vice-captain. That leadership pairing will preside over the side in Nisshin.
The Indian roster includes Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi among its members. Those players are part of the group named to represent India in the men's T20 competition at the Asian Games.
Based on ICC rankings and recent form, Afghanistan and Nepal are identified in reports as the favourites to top their respective groups; if seeding holds, India’s quarter-final opponent would be either Afghanistan or Nepal. The specific opponent will be determined by the results of the three Group A matches played between September 24 and 26.
India's opening fixture in the tournament is the second quarter-final on September 28 at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, where they will face whichever team finishes second in Group A after the round-robin matches conclude on September 26.
