India women face Japan in Asian Games 2026 quarter-final draw

The official draw for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 competitions took place on Thursday, setting up India's women's cricket team to meet Japan in the quarter-final stage. This matchup represents a significant fixture in the tournament's knockout phase as both teams vie for a place in the semifinals. India's women's side won gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, establishing themselves as strong contenders heading into the upcoming continental competition.

Harmanpreet Kaur will lead India's women's team with Smriti Mandhana serving as her deputy. A victory for India would take them to the semi-final against either Bangladesh or China, depending on the outcomes of other quarter-final matches. The women's cricket competition is scheduled to run from September 17 to 22, with all matches played in T20 format carrying full international status at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture.

The women's quarter-final draw also features Sri Lanka against Malaysia and Pakistan beginning their campaign against Thailand. These fixtures complete the knockout stage lineup for the women's competition. The tournament structure reflects the competitive depth of women's cricket across Asia, with multiple strong teams competing for continental honours.

The remaining four quarter-final matches will be determined through a qualifying round featuring six nations. Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal have been pitted against each other in Group A, while Hong Kong China, Malaysia and Oman will compete in Group B. The top two teams from each group will make it to the quarter-finals, where they will lock horns with the seeded nations.

India's men's side will enter the quarter-final stage against an opponent yet to be confirmed through the draw process. The men's tournament is scheduled for September 24 to October 1, also contested in T20 format with full international status. Shreyas Iyer captains the men's team with Tilak Varma as vice-captain, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named in the 15-member squad.

Laxman to be India's coach for Zimbabwe tour and Asian Games

Cricket is returning to the Asian Games for the fourth occasion, following previous editions at Guangzhou in 2010, Incheon in 2014 and Hangzhou in 2023. India swept both gold medals at the most recent Asian Games, demonstrating their dominance in the sport at the continental level. The sport is also set to make its return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles in 2028, marking the end of a lengthy absence from the Olympic programme.