Asian Games 2026 Cricket Draw: India and Pakistan Placed on Opposite Halves of Men’s and Women’s Brackets
The official draw for the cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games has placed the Indian and Pakistani teams on opposite sides of the bracket in both the men’s and women’s events. Under this tournament layout, the two rival sides cannot meet in the preliminary or early knockout stages and can only cross paths in the medal rounds.
What Happened
According to the tournament draw conducted on July 23, 2026, all cricket matches will be contested in the T20 format at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya. The men’s competition features 10 teams, with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka receiving direct qualification to the quarterfinal stage. Six other teams—Afghanistan, Nepal, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Malaysia, and Oman—will compete in the group phase to claim the remaining quarterfinal berths.
India has been placed in Quarterfinal 2 and Pakistan in Quarterfinal 1, with both fixtures scheduled for September 28. Men’s semifinal matches are slated for October 1, followed by the gold-medal and bronze-medal matches on October 3. Because of their positions on opposite sides of the bracket, India and Pakistan can only face each other if both reach the gold-medal final or both contest the bronze-medal play-off.
In the women’s event, eight nations are set to participate. India enters as the top seed and faces Japan in the quarterfinals, while fourth-seeded Pakistan takes on Thailand. If India advances past Japan, they will play the winner of Bangladesh versus Hong Kong, China in the semifinals. If Pakistan advances past Thailand, they will meet Sri Lanka or Malaysia in the semifinals. As with the men’s draw, the women’s teams can only meet on September 22 in either the gold-medal final or the bronze-medal match.
Key Highlights
- Venue and Format: All matches will take place in the T20 format at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya.
- Direct Quarterfinal Seeding: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh are seeded directly into the men’s quarterfinals.
- Captains: The Indian men’s team will be captained by Shreyas Iyer, while Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the Indian women’s team.
- Defending Champions: India enters the tournament as the defending gold medalist in both the men’s and women’s events from the 2023 Asian Games.
- Tournament Dates: The broader Asian Games take place from September 19 to October 4, 2026, with the cricket events scheduled between September 17 and October 3.
- Medal-Only Clash: In both divisions, an India vs. Pakistan match can only happen in the gold-medal final or the bronze-medal play-off.
Why This Matters
The bracket structure guarantees that any clash between India and Pakistan in Nagoya will happen exclusively as a medal encounter. Both squads won gold medals at the 2023 Asian Games, and the 2026 format sets their potential meetings at the final stage of the competitions.
What to Watch Next
The women’s competition will open the cricket schedule and conclude its medal rounds on September 22. The men’s tournament will follow, with quarterfinals taking place on September 28, semifinals on October 1, and the final medal matches scheduled for October 3.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can India and Pakistan play each other in the group stage or quarterfinals?
No. Both the men’s and women’s brackets place India and Pakistan on opposite halves, ensuring they cannot meet until the medal stage.
Who is leading the Indian cricket squads?
Shreyas Iyer will lead the Indian men’s cricket team, while Harmanpreet Kaur will captain the Indian women’s cricket team.
Where will the Asian Games 2026 cricket matches take place?
All matches will be held at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya.
Source: CricTracker