After the Ireland and England tours, India cricket shifts to the most unusual location it has visited in recent memory: Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Cricket is among the 43 sports at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, with both men’s and women’s T20 tournaments scheduled from September 17 to October 3.
India are the reigning champions in both events and arrive in Japan as heavy favourites, but cricket in the Asian Games always throws up surprises.
India Asian Games 2026 Cricket Squad (Official, Confirmed)
Batters:
- Shreyas Iyer (Captain)
- Tilak Varma (Vice-Captain)
- Abhishek Sharma
- Sanju Samson (WK)
- Ishan Kishan (WK)
- Shivam Dube
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
All-Rounders:
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Axar Patel
- Washington Sundar
Spinners:
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Ravi Bishnoi
Pacers:
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Harshit Rana
- Arshdeep Singh
Key Points to Note:
- Jasprit Bumrah is included here unlike the Ireland and England T20I squads where he was rested. Asian Games is clearly a priority for the selectors.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi confirmed in all three squads: Ireland, England and Asian Games. The 15-year-old is going to be a constant feature across India’s entire summer and beyond.
- Same captain and vice-captain combination: Shreyas Iyer leading, Tilak Varma as deputy, exactly as in the Ireland and England tours.
- No Hardik Pandya, no Kuldeep Yadav, no Rinku Singh in this squad either, consistent with the selectorial thinking across all three announcements.
- Prince Yadav, who was in the England squad reports, does not appear in the Asian Games squad.
India at Asian Games 2026: Format, Teams and What to Expect
The men’s cricket event runs from September 24 to October 3 at Korogi Sports Park in Aichi Prefecture, with 10 teams participating in the T20 format. The teams include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Japan (as hosts), China, Malaysia, Thailand, and one more qualifier.
As per previous Asian Games rules, the top seeded teams go directly to the quarter-finals while lower ranked sides play preliminary matches to earn spots.
This is a knockout-heavy format. One bad day and you are out. That makes it simultaneously exciting and unpredictable. India beat Pakistan in the 2023 Asian Games on their way to gold, and a potential India-Pakistan clash here would have the entire subcontinent watching.
India’s men, under Ruturaj Gaikwad, grabbed gold when their 2023 final against Afghanistan was rain-washed, with India topping the standings and being declared champions. Three years on, under a new T20 setup led by Shreyas Iyer, India will want to go the full distance this time and win the gold medal properly on the field.
Will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Play at Asian Games 2026?
This is one of the most hotly debated topics in Indian cricket circles right now. Sooryavanshi was listed among the 30 probables for the Asian Games squad. Given that by September he will have already toured Ireland and England as part of the senior squad, there is every chance he makes the Asian Games team as well.
If he does go to Japan, these pitches are a completely different challenge from English swing conditions. Japan’s cricket surfaces are not natural turf, not famous for any particular character.
For a batter like Sooryavanshi who feeds off pace and generates power through bat speed rather than relying on footwork against seam movement, Japan could actually suit him beautifully. In his IPL career so far, Sooryavanshi has scored 1,028 runs across 23 matches, with 2 centuries and 6 half-centuries, and has hit 96 sixes overall.
He is averaging 44.70 with the bat at a strike rate that makes opposition captains panic. At the Asian Games, against attacks that are not at the level of England or Pakistan’s top bowlers, he could go absolutely berserk.
A gold medal and a Sooryavanshi century in Japan. That is the dream.
India vs Pakistan at Asian Games 2026: Will It Happen?
India and Pakistan are both seeded to go directly to the quarter-finals. If both teams win their respective quarter-finals, they could meet in the semi-finals or the final. An India-Pakistan clash in any format, anywhere in the world, is unmissable. In Japan, it would be a surreal sight: two subcontinent giants facing off in a country where cricket is only just growing.
The local Japanese crowd may not fully understand what they are witnessing, but the billions watching from India and Pakistan certainly will.
Asian Games 2026 Cricket Full Schedule and Timings in IST
Every matchday will feature double headers, with morning games starting at 5:30 AM IST and afternoon matches starting at 10:30 AM IST, which correspond to 9 AM and 2 PM local time in Japan.
- Men’s tournament: September 24 to October 3.
- Key match dates: Quarter-finals: September 28 and 29 Semi-finals: October 1 Bronze and Gold Medal matches: October 3
- Venue for all matches: Korogi Sports Park (also known as Korogi Athletic Park), Nisshin city, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Yes, the early morning timings are brutal for Indian fans. A 5:30 AM IST start means setting your alarm before dawn. But for a potential India-Pakistan knockout or a Sooryavanshi century chase under Japanese lights, that alarm is worth it.
Where to Watch Asian Games 2026 Cricket Live in India
Sony Sports Network, specifically Sony Sports 1 and Sony Sports 2, hold the broadcasting rights for the Asian Games in India. Live streaming will be on the SonyLIV app. Download SonyLIV, get a subscription, and you are set.
Do confirm closer to the event as broadcasting details can sometimes shift, but Sony has historically covered the Asian Games for Indian audiences.
India’s Gold Medal Chances at Asian Games 2026 Cricket
Honestly, on paper, India should win. They have the best T20 players in Asia, a settled batting order now being led by Shreyas Iyer, spin depth with Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy, and pace options in Arshdeep Singh and others. The only genuine threat comes from Pakistan and Afghanistan, both of whom have match-winners capable of turning a T20 game in three overs.
But with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi potentially in the squad, India have a weapon no other team in Asia possesses right now: a 15-year-old who hits the ball harder than most senior international batters, has already scored 1,000 T20 runs, and looks completely unafraid of the big occasion. Japan 2026 could be where he wins his first major international gold medal. And that story would be one for the ages.
Lucky Raina is a complete cricket writer chasing corporate dreams by day and cricket stories by night. Once a promising Under 16 cricketer, life took him down a different pitch but the love for the game never left.
