Asian Games 2026: Indian men's cricket team to enter quarter finals on September 28

India's women's cricket team beat Sri Lanka in the final to win gold at the Asian Games under way in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, and attention has now turned to the men's team. The team, captained by Shreyas Iyer, has reached Japan and will soon take the field in the Asian Games matches.

Ahead of the Asian Games matches, a T20 International was played between India and Japan. The match was scheduled for 20 overs but was reduced to just five overs due to bad weather. It was a thrilling contest, with India winning by just two runs on the last ball. The match made clear that India will need to play cautiously on the pitches here.

The men's cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games begins on September 24. The first group match on that day will be between hosts Japan and Afghanistan. Hong Kong, China and Malaysia will also take the field the same day. After the group stage ends, the quarter finals will begin on September 28. The Indian team has been given a direct entry into the quarter finals.

Team India will play its first match on Monday, September 28. As per Indian time, the match will start at 10:00 am. However, which team India will face has not yet been decided. India has been placed in Group A in this tournament, so in the quarter final, Team India could face either Japan, Nepal or Afghanistan.

Like Team India, Pakistan will also begin its Asian Games campaign on September 28. Pakistan has also been given a direct entry into the quarter finals. Pakistan's first match on September 28 will start at 5:30 am Indian Standard Time. Which team Pakistan will face has also not yet been finalised. Both India and Pakistan will look to win their respective quarter final matches to reach the semi-finals.