Asian Games 2026 Cricket Teams and Groups: Full List and Format
The Asian Games 2026 cricket tournament will feature teams from across Asia in both men's and women's competitions. The men's event has 10 teams, with six teams playing the preliminary group stage and India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka entering directly in the quarter-finals.
In the men's competition, Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal are in Group A, while Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Oman are in Group B. The top two teams from each group will move into the quarter-finals, joining the four seeded teams. All matches will be played in the T20 format at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi, Japan.
Which Teams Are Playing Cricket at the Asian Games 2026?
The Asian Games 2026 cricket tournament will feature 10 men's teams and 8 women's teams. The men's competition includes Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Oman in the group stage, while India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are seeded directly into the quarter-finals.
The women tournament has eight teams: India, Japan, Bangladesh, China, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Pakistan and Thailand. Unlike the men's event, the women's competition starts directly from the quarter-finals. Both men's and women's matches will be played in the T20 format.
Asian Games 2026 Men Cricket Teams Group wise
The Asian Games 2026 men's cricket tournament has 10 teams. Six teams will play in the preliminary group stage, while India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are seeded directly into the quarter-finals. The six group-stage teams are divided into two groups of three teams each.
| Group / Stage | Teams |
|---|---|
| Group A | Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal |
| Group B | Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Oman |
| Direct Quarter-Final Teams | India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka |
The top two teams from Group A and Group B will qualify for the quarter-finals. They will join the four seeded teams, making eight teams in the men's knockout stage. The men's cricket competition will be played in the T20 format in Japan.
Asian Games 2026 Men Cricket Groups
The Asian Games 2026 men's cricket tournament has two groups: Group A and Group B. Six teams will play the group stage, with the top two teams from each group moving to the quarter-finals. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are already seeded directly into the knockout stage.
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| Group A | Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal |
| Group B | Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Oman |
The group-stage matches will be played from September 24 to September 26, 2026. After the group stage, the top two teams from each group will join the four seeded teams in the quarter-finals.
Asian Games 2026 Men's Cricket Group A Teams
The Asian Games 2026 Men's Cricket Group A has three teams: Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal. These teams will play against each other in the preliminary group stage, with the top two teams moving into the quarter-finals.
| Group A | Teams |
|---|---|
| Team 1 | Afghanistan |
| Team 2 | Japan |
| Team 3 | Nepal |
The Group A matches will be played on September 24, 25 and 26, 2026. Afghanistan will face Japan on September 24, Afghanistan will play Nepal on September 25, and Japan will meet Nepal on September 26.
Asian Games 2026 Men's Cricket Group B Teams
Group B of the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket tournament has three teams: Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Oman. These teams will play the preliminary group stage to compete for the two available quarter-final places.
| Team | Group |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong, China | Group B |
| Malaysia | Group B |
| Oman | Group B |
The Group B matches will be played on September 24, 25 and 26, 2026. The top two teams from the group will advance to the quarter-finals, where they will join the four seeded teams: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Asian Games 2026 Men's Direct Quarter-Final Teams
Four teams have received direct entry into the quarter-finals of the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket tournament. These teams are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. They do not need to play the preliminary group stage.
| Team | Entry |
|---|---|
| India | Direct Quarter-Final |
| Pakistan | Direct Quarter-Final |
| Bangladesh | Direct Quarter-Final |
| Sri Lanka | Direct Quarter-Final |
The four seeded teams will be joined by the top two teams from Group A and the top two teams from Group B. This will make a total of eight teams in the men's quarter-final stage.
How Many Teams Are in Each Group?
Each group in the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket tournament has three teams. Group A includes Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal, while Group B includes Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Oman.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals. They will join the four seeded teams — India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka — to make eight teams in the knockout stage.
How Many Teams Qualify From Each Group?
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket quarter-finals. Group A and Group B each have three teams, so four teams in total will qualify from the group stage.
These four teams will then join the four seeded teams India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals. This means eight teams will compete in the men's knockout stage.
Why Are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Not in a Group?
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are not in a preliminary group because they were selected as the four seeded teams for the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket tournament. As seeded teams, they received a direct place in the quarter-finals and do not need to play the group stage.
The other six teams — Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Oman — play in the preliminary groups for the remaining four quarter-final places. The top two teams from Group A and the top two from Group B will join the four seeded teams in the knockout stage.
Why Do Seeded Teams Start From the Quarter-Finals?
The four seeded teams India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka start their Asian Games 2026 men's cricket campaign from the quarter-finals. This means they do not need to play the preliminary group stage. The other six teams compete in Groups A and B for the remaining four quarter-final places.
After the group matches, the top two teams from each group will join the four seeded teams in the quarter-finals. This creates an eight-team knockout stage, followed by the semi-finals and medal matches.
Which Teams Qualify for the Asian Games 2026 Quarter-Finals?
The Asian Games 2026 men's cricket quarter-finals will have eight teams. Four teams — India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka — have direct quarter-final places as seeded teams. The other four places will go to the top two teams from Group A and the top two teams from Group B.
| Qualification Route | Teams |
|---|---|
| Seeded teams | India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka |
| From Group A | 1st and 2nd place |
| From Group B | 1st and 2nd place |
The Group A teams are Afghanistan, Nepal and Nepal, while Group B includes Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Oman. The four group-stage qualifiers will join the four seeded teams to complete the men's quarter-final lineup.
Group A's Top Two Teams
Group A of the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket tournament includes Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal. The top two teams in the group will qualify for the quarter-finals and join the four seeded teams in the knockout stage.
The Group A matches are scheduled for September 24, 25 and 26, 2026. Afghanistan will face Japan and Nepal, while Japan will also play Nepal. After these three matches, the teams finishing first and second in the group will move into the quarter-finals.
Group B Top Two Teams
Group B of the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket tournament includes Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Oman. These teams will play their group matches on September 24, 25 and 26, with the top two teams qualifying for the quarter-finals.
The Group B winner will face Bangladesh in the quarter-final, while the second-placed team will face Pakistan on September 28. The final Group B positions will be decided after all three matches are completed.
Asian Games 2026 Men's Cricket Quarter-Final Teams and Matchups
The Asian Games 2026 men's cricket quarter-finals will have eight teams. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka already have direct places, while the other four teams will come from the top two positions in Groups A and B. The quarter-final matchups are fixed in the tournament schedule, but some opponents will only be known after the group matches.
| Date | Match | Quarter-Final |
|---|---|---|
| September 28 | CKT15 | Pakistan vs 2nd place, Group B |
| September 28 | CKT16 | India vs 2nd place, Group A |
| September 29 | CKT17 | Sri Lanka vs Winner, Group A |
| September 29 | CKT18 | Bangladesh vs Winner, Group B |
Pakistan and India will play their quarter-finals on September 28, while Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will play on September 29. The quarter-final winners will advance to the semi-finals on October 1.
How Does the Asian Games 2026 Cricket Format Work?
The Asian Games 2026 men's cricket tournament is played in the T20 format and has 10 teams. The competition starts with a group stage involving six teams. Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal are in Group A, while Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Oman are in Group B. The top two teams from each group qualify for the quarter-finals.
The other four teams — India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka — are seeded directly into the quarter-finals. This creates an eight-team knockout stage. After the four quarter-finals, the winners move to the semi-finals on October 1. The men's bronze-medal match and final will be played on October 3.
Asian Games 2026 Cricket Teams and Groups FAQs:
How many teams are playing men's cricket at Asian Games 2026?
There are 10 men's cricket teams.
How many teams are in Group A?
Group A has Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal.
How many teams are in Group B?
Group B has Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Oman.
Are India and Pakistan in the same group?
No. India and Pakistan are seeded teams and directly enter the quarter-finals.
Which teams are seeded in Asian Games 2026 men's cricket?
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are the four seeded teams.
How many teams qualify from each men's group?
The top two teams from each group qualify for the quarter-finals.
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