Nagoya’s Kōrogi Sports Park sits at the center of the 2026 Asian Games cricket program, with the women’s semifinals set for September 20 and the men’s competition starting September 24. Ten men’s teams and eight women’s teams are chasing medals inside a tight window that runs through October 3.
The two events share a venue but not a format. Men’s teams mix a group stage with a knockout bracket, while the women’s draw runs as a straight knockout from the quarterfinals. Here’s the full Asian Games 2026 cricket schedule for both tournaments.
Asian Games 2026 Cricket Schedule at a Glance
Both tournaments run inside the same three week window but follow very different paths to a medal.
- Men’s tournament: September 24 to October 3, 10 teams, group stage plus knockout rounds
- Women’s tournament: September 17 to September 22, 8 teams, straight knockout from the quarterfinals
- Venue: Kōrogi Sports Park, Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
- Schedule source: Cricbuzz’s official fixture list for both tournaments
Men’s Asian Games Cricket Schedule and Fixtures
The men’s schedule opens with six group matches before the four seeded nations enter at the quarterfinal stage.
| Date | Fixture | Round | Time (GMT) | Time (Local JST) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 24 | Japan vs Afghanistan | Group A | 12:00 AM | 9:00 AM | Upcoming |
| Sep 24 | Hong Kong, China vs Malaysia | Group B | 5:00 AM | 2:00 PM | Upcoming |
| Sep 25 | Hong Kong, China vs Oman | Group B | 12:00 AM | 9:00 AM | Upcoming |
| Sep 25 | Afghanistan vs Nepal | Group A | 5:00 AM | 2:00 PM | Upcoming |
| Sep 26 | Japan vs Nepal | Group A | 12:00 AM | 9:00 AM | Upcoming |
| Sep 26 | Malaysia vs Oman | Group B | 5:00 AM | 2:00 PM | Upcoming |
| Sep 28 | Pakistan vs Group B runner up | Quarterfinal | 12:00 AM | 9:00 AM | Upcoming |
| Sep 28 | India vs Group A runner up | Quarterfinal | 4:30 AM | 1:30 PM | Upcoming |
| Sep 29 | Sri Lanka vs Group A winner | Quarterfinal | 12:00 AM | 9:00 AM | Upcoming |
| Sep 29 | Bangladesh vs Group B winner | Quarterfinal | 4:30 AM | 1:30 PM | Upcoming |
| Oct 1 | Semifinal 1 (TBC) | Semifinal | 12:00 AM | 9:00 AM | Upcoming |
| Oct 1 | Semifinal 2 (TBC) | Semifinal | 4:30 AM* | 1:30 PM | Upcoming |
| Oct 3 | Bronze Medal Match (TBC) | Bronze Medal | 12:00 AM | 9:00 AM | Upcoming |
| Oct 3 | Final (TBC) | Gold Medal | 4:30 AM* | 1:30 PM | Upcoming |
*Cricbuzz’s fixture column lists this kickoff as 4:30 AM GMT, but the platform’s own match timestamp for this slot reads 5:00 AM GMT. Editors should confirm the correct time before publishing.
None of the men’s fixtures have been played yet, so every result cell above reads Upcoming.
Men’s Group Stage, Seeding and Qualification Path
Only six of the ten men’s teams start in the group stage, while India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka go straight to the quarterfinals as seeded sides.
- Group A: Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal
- Group B: Hong Kong, China; Malaysia; Oman
- Direct quarterfinalists (seeded): India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
- The top two finishers from each group join the seeded four in the quarterfinals
Four of the six group stage sides, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal and Oman, reached Nagoya through a qualifying event. Hosts Japan and the Full Member nations qualified automatically, per Wisden’s reporting on the build up to the Games.
Women’s Asian Games Cricket Schedule and Fixtures
The women’s draw is already past its opening round, with the semifinals and both medal matches still to come.
| Date | Fixture | Round | Time (GMT) | Time (Local JST) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17 | Bangladesh Women vs China Women | Quarterfinal | N/A | N/A | Abandoned, wet outfield, no toss held |
| Sep 17 | Thailand Women vs Pakistan Women | Quarterfinal | N/A | N/A | Pakistan Women won by 3 wickets, reduced to 11 overs |
| Sep 18 | Sri Lanka Women vs Malaysia Women | Quarterfinal | N/A | N/A | Sri Lanka Women won by 86 runs |
| Sep 18 | Japan Women vs India Women | Quarterfinal | N/A | N/A | India Women won by 8 wickets |
| Sep 20 | Pakistan Women vs Sri Lanka Women | Semifinal | 12:00 AM | 9:00 AM | Upcoming |
| Sep 20 | India Women vs Bangladesh Women | Semifinal | 5:00 AM | 2:00 PM | Upcoming |
| Sep 22 | Bronze Medal Match (TBC) | Bronze Medal | 12:00 AM | 9:00 AM | Upcoming |
| Sep 22 | Final (TBC) | Gold Medal | 5:00 AM | 2:00 PM | Upcoming |
Kickoff times for the four completed quarterfinals aren’t in Cricbuzz’s data, so those cells are marked N/A rather than guessed.
Women’s Knockout Format and Qualification Path
Eight teams make up the women’s field, and every round from here on is straight knockout.
- Full Member nations and hosts Japan qualified automatically
- China, Malaysia and Thailand came through a qualifying event to fill the remaining spots
- There’s no group stage on the women’s side, so the quarterfinals onward are all straight knockout matches
Venue and Pitch Conditions at Kōrogi Sports Park
Every match in both tournaments is played on the same surface, a turf pitch built specifically for this Games.
- Kōrogi Sports Park sits in Nisshin, on the outskirts of Nagoya
- Temporary stands at the venue can hold around 2,000 spectators
- The playing surface is a hybrid pitch that organizers have compared to surfaces in Pakistan, offering both bounce and turn
- The venue hosted the East Asia Pacific T20 World Cup Sub Regional Qualifier as a test event ahead of the Games
Japan Cricket Association chief executive Naoki Alex Miyaji said the outfield was really good and the pitch played well, per ICC Digital. It’s an early, promising sign for a venue still building its reputation on the international circuit.
Why the Asian Games Matter for Cricket’s Growth
None of the players in Nagoya are chasing the kind of money the franchise circuit pays, and that’s part of the story. Big names from the wealthier boards often skip multi sport Games for bilateral windows instead, which is why it’s worth checking Cricketide’s Top 10 Richest Cricketers in the World (2026 Net Worth for context on what those same stars earn elsewhere. For a few uncapped squad members here, the pathway runs through domestic cricket instead, the same route covered in Cricketide’s Complete Duleep Trophy Winners List From 1961 to 2026.
Asian Games Cricket History and Past Medalists
Cricket has appeared in four of the last five Asian Games since its 2010 debut, and Wisden’s reporting shows a medal list with several repeat winners.
- Pakistan Women: gold in 2010 and 2014
- Bangladesh Men: gold in 2010
- Sri Lanka Men: gold in 2014
- India Men and Women: gold in 2022, at Hangzhou
- Afghanistan Men: silver in three straight editions, still chasing a first gold
Two Formats, One Venue, and a Fortnight of Asian Games Cricket Left to Play
Nagoya’s cricket program splits neatly in two. The women’s tournament finishes first, with semifinals on September 20 and both medal matches on September 22, while the men’s competition only starts on September 24 and runs through the group stage, quarterfinals, semifinals and medal matches until October 3. Anyone following either draw can use the tables above to track exactly when their team plays next, down to the kickoff time in Nagoya and back home. The half hour discrepancy flagged earlier is worth confirming before matchday.
