India women cricket team will play Japan in the quarterfinals of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 tournament after the official draw took place on Thursday. As both teams compete for a spot in the semifinals, this clash is an important part of the tournament’s knockout round. With their gold medal from the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, India’s women’s team proved to be a formidable opponent going into the next regional tournament.
India’s women’s team will be captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, with Smriti Mandhana acting as her deputy. Depending on the results of other quarterfinal games, India would advance to the semi-finals to play either China or Bangladesh. The women’s cricket competition will take place at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture from September 17 to September 22. All matches will be played in the T20 format with full international status.
What more Asian Games 2026 quarterfinal matches are there?
Sri Lanka will play Malaysia in the women’s quarterfinal draw, while Pakistan will start their campaign against Thailand. These matches round up the women’s competition’s knockout stage schedule. With several formidable teams vying for continental titles, the tournament structure reflects the depth of competition in women’s cricket throughout Asia.
Six nations will compete in a qualifying round to determine the last four quarterfinal matchups. Group A will feature Afghanistan, Japan, and Nepal, while Group B will feature Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, and Oman. Each group’s top two teams advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face the top-seeded countries.
Who will the men’s team from India play in the quarterfinals?
The men’s team from India will play an opponent that has not yet been confirmed through the draw process when they advance to the quarterfinals. The men’s competition, which will take place in a T20 format with full international status, is set for September 24 to October 1. The men’s team is led by Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been included in the 15-man roster.
After being played in Guangzhou in 2010, Incheon in 2014, and Hangzhou in 2023, cricket is making its fourth appearance at the Asian Games. India proved their superiority in the sport at the continental level by winning both gold medals in the most recent Asian Games. Additionally, the sport will return to the Olympic program in Los Angeles in 2028, ending a long hiatus.
