LAHORE (Kashmir English): Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have secured direct entry into the men’s cricket knockout stage at the 2026 Asian Games, according to the officials.
The draw was announced on Thursday. The 10-team men’s tournament, starting from September 24 in Nagoya, Japan, will begin with a preliminary round featuring Japan, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Nepal and Oman competing for the remaining quarter-final berths.
Asian Games
Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal were placed in Group A, while Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman were drawn in Group B. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage to join the four seeded sides.
The women’s cricket tournament has been scheduled from September 17-22. The event will feature eight teams and begin at the quarter-final stage.
Defending champions India will face hosts Japan, Bangladesh will take on China, Sri Lanka will meet Malaysia, and Pakistan will play Thailand.
Matches in both men’s and women’s competitions will be played in the Twenty20 format.
India had won the cricket men’s and women’s titles at the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8, 2023, after being postponed from 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
