Asian Games 2026 cricket schedule announced:Competition begins on 17 September, matches to be played in T20 format

The schedule for the Asian Games 2026 cricket competition has been announced by the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee (AINAGOC). The tournament will get underway on 17 September and the matches will be played in T20 format. The Asian Games 2026 will be held in Japan from 19 September to 4 October. Cricket had returned to the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou after a gap of nine years. India had won gold medals in both the men’s and women’s cricket competitions. Also read: Pakistan-born USA cricketer Ali Khan ‘denied’ India visa: Fast bowler’s participation in T20 World Cup 2026 uncertain? Women’s tournament starts on 17 September, men’s games to begin on 24 September Cricket action at the Asian Games 2026 will begin with the women’s tournament, which will start on 17 September. A total of eight teams will be seen in action in the women’s cricket tournament at the Asian Games 2026. The final will be played on 22 September. The men’s cricket tournament, which will feature 10 teams, will start on 24 September. The medal matches will start on 3 October. All the matches will be played at the Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture. There will be double-headers on all days of the tournament. The morning matches will start at 5:30 AM IST, while the afternoon matches are slated to get underway at 10:30 AM IST. Also read: Why did India pick Ayush Badoni as Washington Sundar’s replacement?: Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak explains reason ahead of Rajkot ODI India had won gold in both men’s and women’s matches India are the defending champions in Asian Games cricket, having won gold medals in both the men’s and women’s competitions. The Indian women’s team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, had beaten Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the final to win the top prize. On the other hand, the men’s team, captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad, had won gold after their final against Afghanistan was washed out. India had won the gold by virtue of being the higher-ranked side. It remains to be seen if the same format is followed, with the higher-ranked sides directly playing in the quarter-finals while the other teams compete in the preliminary matches.