Asian Games 2026 Cricket Schedule Dates, Venue & Full Details

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 ahead of 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.

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 making 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.

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 separate qualifying tournaments to fill the remaining berths. The men's qualifying event was staged in Singapore, while the women's qualifiers were held in Kuala Lumpur, 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.

How to Follow the Asian Games 2026 Cricket Schedule in India

Broadcast rights for the 2026 Asian Games have been secured in India by Sony Pictures Networks, with coverage set to run across the Sony Sports Network channels and stream live on SonyLIV, mirroring the arrangement used for the wider Games. Given India's status as defending champions in both the men's and women's cricket events, the tournament is expected to draw strong domestic viewership around its September and October fixtures.

Session timings at Kōrogi Sports Park are set in Japan Standard Time (UTC+9), so Indian viewers following the Asian Games 2026 cricket schedule should account for the 3.5 hour time difference when planning around live sessions.