India got auspicious routes to defend two cricket golds at the Asian Games

India’s bid to retain both cricket gold medals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games received a major boost after Thursday’s draw gave the defending champions favorable paths in both the men’s and women’s competitions. The draw ensured India avoided tougher early hurdles while keeping the possibility of an India-Pakistan blockbuster going to the latter stages of the tournament.

The Indian women’s team will begin their title defense against hosts Japan in the quarter-finals of the eight-a-side T20 competition, which is scheduled from September 17-22. If Harmanpreet Kaur’s team beat Japan, they will face either Bangladesh or China in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Pakistan have been drawn on the opposite side of the draw alongside Thailand, while Sri Lanka face Malaysia in the remaining quarter-final. As a result, the contest between India and Pakistan in the women’s competition can only take place in the gold medal match.

India will go into the tournament confident after winning the gold medal in women’s cricket at Hangzhou 2023, beating Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the final. This marked India’s first cricket gold at the Asian Games after the sport returned to the programme.

INDIA MEN ALSO HAVE DIRECT ENTRY TO THE QUARTERS

The men’s competition, scheduled from September 24 to October 1, has a different format. Thanks to their position among the top four Asian teams in the T20I rankings, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka secured direct qualification to the quarter-finals, bypassing the preliminary stage.

Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal will compete in Group A, while Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Oman form Group B, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stages.

India’s men also enter the tournament as defending champions after winning gold at Hangzhou 2023. A rain-hit final against Afghanistan decided the seeding, with India winning the title as the higher seeded side.

Cricket will once again be played in the T20 format at the Asian Games, with the tournament serving as another major multi-sport platform ahead of the sport’s return to the Olympic program in Los Angeles 2028. If both Indian teams go their auspicious paths, fans could yet witness two high-profile clashes between India and Pakistan in the battle for the gold.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

24 Jul 2026 21:50 IST