India and Pakistan men’s cricket teams have got a bye through to the quarterfinals stages in the Asian Games 2026 tournament.
Published: August 13, 2026, 12:58 PM IST
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India vs Pakistan can only take place in Gold medal or Bronze Medal match in Asian Games 2026(Photo: IANS)
Asian Games 2026: India vs Pakistan matches on the cricket field have been few and far betweenThe last one took place in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in Colombo in February where Suryakumar Yadav’s side emerged victoriousFans from both nations were hoping for another clash as the two powerhouses and traditional rivals will be competing for the gold medal in cricket competition at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan next month.
But unlike other ICC tournaments in the recent past, the fans will be disappointed that there will be no early India vs Pakistan match at the Asian Games in NagoyaBoth the teams have been given byes through to the quarterfinals stages of the Asian Games 2026.
In all likelihood, India vs Pakistan blockbuster clash will only take place in medal rounds – with the two top-ranked Asian sides likely to face off in the ‘Gold medal’ match or the finalThe men’s cricket draw will be replicated in the women’s draw as well.
The Asian Games 2026 will be held from September 19 to October 4, with cricket tournament being played from September 17 to October 3 beginning with women’s matches (final on September 22) followed by men’sThere are 10 teams in the men’s competition and eight in the women’s event.
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India men’s team, along with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, have been seeded and will directly proceed to the quarterfinals, while the remaining six sides – including Rashid Khan’s Afghanistan, will have to go through the group stage.
India will play in Quarterfinal 2 and Pakistan are placed in Quarterfinal 1, with both matches scheduled for September 28Their opponents will be the sides that qualify from the group stage.
According to the Asian Games 2026 draw, the semifinal 1 will feature winners of Quarterfinal 2 (likely Shreyas Iyer’s Team India) against the winners of Quarterfinal 3, while the winners of Quarterfinal 1 (likely Pakistan) will take on the winners of Quarterfinal 4Both semifinals are scheduled for October 1.
It means that the Asian neighbours can clash only in the gold-medal match or the third-place play-off for the bronze medal, with both matches scheduled for October 3Apart from Afghanistan, Nepal, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Malaysia and Oman will feature in the group stage.
In the women’s competition, Harmanpreet Kaur’s Team India are the top-seeded side, while Pakistan are No4 in the Asian Games, behind Sri Lanka and BangladeshBut India will face Japan in the quarterfinal, and if they progress to the semifinal, they will meet either Bangladesh or Hong Kong, China.
Pakistan, on the other hand, face Thailand in their quarterfinal clashIf they win, they will face either Sri Lanka or MalaysiaA potential India vs Pakistan women’s team clash can only take place in the final or the bronze-medal play-off, which is scheduled for September 22.
All cricket matches in Asian Games 2026 will be played at Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya.
