The official Asian Games 2026 cricket schedule has been confirmed by the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee (AINAGOC), with women’s and men’s T20 tournaments running across more than two weeks at a single dedicated venue in Aichi Prefecture.
Kōrogi Sports Park, Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture · 17 September-3 October 2026
The Asian Games 2026 cricket schedule runs from 17 September to 3 October 2026. The women’s tournament is held first, from 17 to 22 September, followed by the men’s tournament from 24 September to 3 October. Both events are played in the Twenty20 International format at Kōrogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture, and carry full international status recognised by the ICC. Defending champions India head into both draws as the team to beat, though India’s men enter with a bye straight to the quarter-finals.
Asian Games 2026 Cricket Schedule at a Glance
Cricket’s return to the Asian Games programme means the sport’s action actually begins before the main opening ceremony on 19 September. The official cricket schedule confirms that women’s matches get underway on 17 September, two days before the ceremony, while the men’s tournament runs through the second half of the Games window and closes out on 3 October, a day before the Games themselves conclude on 4 October.
Both the men’s and women’s competitions have been granted full T20 International status by the International Cricket Council, meaning every match played counts toward official ICC rankings-a significant upgrade from the 2010 and 2014 editions, where matches were not internationally recognised.
The cricket tournament will be held as part of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan. Learn more about the host nation, venues and overall Games details in our Asian Games 2026 Held in Which Country guide.
- Format: T20 International
- Venue: Kōrogi Sports Park
- Location: Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture
- Women’s tournament: 17-22 September 2026
- Men’s tournament: 24 September-3 October 2026
- Teams competing: 10 (men)-8 (women)
- Defending champions: India (men’s & women’s)
- International status: Full ICC recognition
Why Cricket Is Back at the Asian Games in 2026
Cricket’s presence at the Asian Games has been on and off. It first appeared as a medal sport at Guangzhou 2010 and returned at Incheon 2014, but neither tournament carried international status. The sport was then dropped entirely from the Jakarta 2018 programme before a high-profile comeback at Hangzhou 2023, where India won historic gold medals in both the men’s and women’s events in matches that were, for the first time, officially recognised as full internationals by the ICC.
Cricket’s inclusion in Aichi-Nagoya 2026 was not a given. Doubts were raised through much of 2024 over whether the sport would feature at all, given scheduling and cost concerns flagged by organisers. The Asian Cricket Council continued pushing for its inclusion, and the AINAGOC organising committee formally approved cricket alongside mixed martial arts for the 2026 programme in April 2025, following a request from the Olympic Council of Asia. The event also carries extra significance this time round, since strong performances at the Asian Games 2026 cricket schedule double as part of the qualification pathway toward cricket’s return at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
A single-venue tournament
Unlike sports spread across multiple cities, both the men’s and women’s cricket events are being staged entirely at Kōrogi Sports Park in Nisshin City. The ground already has recent international pedigree-it hosted the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Sub-Regional Qualifier earlier in the year, giving organisers a tested venue ahead of the Asian Games. Japanese cricket authorities have also flagged the ground as a long-term legacy site for the sport domestically once the Games conclude.
Asian Games 2026 Cricket Schedule: Key Dates
The women’s competition is played first and wraps up well before the men’s tournament begins, meaning fans following the full Asian Games 2026 cricket schedule get two distinct windows of action rather than a single overlapping block.
- Women’s T20 Tournament: 17-22 September 2026-Kōrogi Sports Park, Aichi
- Men’s T20 Tournament: 24 September-3 October 2026-Kōrogi Sports Park, Aichi
- Asian Games Closing Ceremony: 4 October 2026-Nagoya, Japan
Who’s Playing: Men’s and Women’s Fields
Qualification for the Asian Games 2026 cricket schedule followed a two-track system: automatic entry for the region’s ICC Full Member nations plus the host, and separate qualifying tournaments to fill the remaining berths. The men’s qualifier was staged in Singapore, while the women’s qualifier was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In the men’s draw, the four highest-ranked sides go straight to the quarter-finals while the rest open with a group stage.
Men’s Field (10 Teams)
- India-defending champions, seeded direct to quarter-finals
- Pakistan, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh-seeded, direct to quarter-finals
- Afghanistan-ICC Full Member, plays the group stage
- Japan-host nation, plays the group stage
- Nepal, Hong Kong, Malaysia & Oman-via the Singapore qualifier
Women’s Field (8 Teams)
- India-defending champions
- Pakistan (ICC Full Member)
- Bangladesh (ICC Full Member)
- Sri Lanka (ICC Full Member)
- Japan-host nation
- Remaining 3 berths via the Kuala Lumpur qualifier, led by Thailand and Malaysia
Full squads and match-by-match fixtures are released closer to each tournament’s start by AINAGOC and the International Cricket Council-worth a final check nearer 17 September for confirmed line-ups and session timings.
Kōrogi Sports Park, Aichi Prefecture-host venue for the full Asian Games 2026 cricket schedule.
How to Follow the Asian Games 2026 Cricket Schedule
Broadcast rights for the Asian Games are awarded by the Olympic Council of Asia on a country-by-country basis, so the channel or app carrying the cricket schedule will vary depending on where you’re watching from. In India, coverage has been secured by Sony Pictures Networks, running across the Sony Sports Network channels and streaming live on SonyLIV. Viewers elsewhere are best placed checking their own national broadcaster or the official Aichi-Nagoya 2026 site closer to the Games, as regional deals for many markets are still being finalised.
Session timings at Kōrogi Sports Park are set in Japan Standard Time (UTC+9). Fans following from outside Japan should convert to their local time zone when planning around live sessions for reference, JST is 3.5 hours ahead of Indian Standard Time and 9 hours ahead of GMT/UTC during the tournament window.
Two Tournaments, One Venue, Full International Status
The Asian Games 2026 cricket schedule is back for a fourth appearance at the Games, with women’s matches from 17-22 September and men’s matches from 24 September-3 October, all staged at Kōrogi Sports Park in Aichi Prefecture and India arriving as the team every rival is chasing.
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