Asian Games 2026 Cricket Qualifiers — How Every Team Earned Their Spot

Cricket returns to the Asian Games in 2026, with Aichi-Nagoya, Japan hosting both a men’s and women’s T20 tournament. Ten nations will compete in the men’s draw and eight in the women’s — here is how every team qualified and which sides narrowly missed out.

How Cricket Qualification Works

Qualification for the Asian Games cricket tournaments is governed by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). Spots are awarded through a mix of ICC T20I rankings among Asian nations and dedicated ACC Asian Games Qualifier events. Only OCA-affiliated nations with full ACC membership are eligible to compete.

For 2026, the men’s tournament was expanded to 10 teams. The top four ranked Asian T20I sides qualify as seeded nations and receive direct byes to the Quarter-Finals. The remaining six nations enter through two preliminary groups of three. The women’s tournament fields 8 teams in a straight knockout format starting at the Quarter-Finals — no group stage.

Men’s Qualified Teams

Seeded Teams — Direct Bye to Quarter-Finals

The four highest-ranked Asian T20I nations qualify as seeded teams, skipping the preliminary round entirely and entering at the Quarter-Final stage.

• 🇮🇳 India — Ranked No. 1 in Asian T20I cricket and defending gold medalists from Hangzhou 2023. Direct qualification was automatic. Captain: Shreyas Iyer.
• 🇵🇰 Pakistan — Consistent ICC T20I ranking among top Asian nations secured their seeded berth. Multiple T20 World Cup finals appearances.
• 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka — Qualified via top-4 Asian T20I ranking. Strong ACC event performances in 2024–25 confirmed their place.
• 🇧🇩 Bangladesh — Bangladesh’s improving T20 record — world-class pacers and a reliable middle order — clinched the fourth seeded spot.

Group A — Preliminary Round

• 🇦🇫 Afghanistan — Qualified through ICC T20I ranking and ACC allocation. One of Asia’s most powerful T20 sides. Note: Afghanistan Women are not eligible due to the Taliban government’s ban on women’s sport.
• 🇳🇵 Nepal — Qualified through the ACC Asian Games Qualifier 2025. Nepal have consistently punched above their weight in Asian T20 cricket.
• 🇯🇵 Japan — Automatic qualification as host nation. Home advantage at Kōrogi Sports Park, Nisshin adds significant crowd support.

Group B — Preliminary Round

• 🇭🇰 Hong Kong — Qualified through the ACC Asian Games Qualifier 2025. Hong Kong have a strong T20 batting tradition.
• 🇲🇾 Malaysia — Qualified through the ACC Asian Games Qualifier 2025, continuing their steady rise in Asian T20 cricket.
• 🇴🇲 Oman — Qualified through the ACC Asian Games Qualifier 2025. One of Asia’s most improved T20 sides after multiple ICC World Cup appearances.

Men’s Group Draw

Group / Tier	Teams	Dates
Seeded (Bye to QF)	India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh	Enter Sep 28–29 (QF)
Group A	Afghanistan, Nepal, Japan	Sep 24–26 (prelims)
Group B	Hong Kong, Malaysia, Oman	Sep 24–26 (prelims)

Women’s Qualified Teams

The women’s tournament uses a straight 8-team knockout from the Quarter-Finals (September 17–22). No group stage — all eight teams enter at the Quarter-Final stage.

• 🇮🇳 India Women — Highest-ranked Asian women’s T20I side and 2023 Asian Games silver medalists. Captain: Harmanpreet Kaur. Direct qualifier.
• 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka Women — Defending gold medalists from Hangzhou 2023. Chamari Athapaththu’s side are the team to beat. Direct qualifier.
• 🇵🇰 Pakistan Women — Direct berth through ICC Women’s T20I ranking and strong Asia Cup 2024 performances. Captain: Bismah Maroof.
• 🇧🇩 Bangladesh Women — Rapid improvement in regional events during 2024–25 earned them the fourth direct spot. Captain: Nigar Sultana.
• 🇨🇳 China Women — Qualified through the ACC Women’s Asian Games Qualifier 2025. A rapidly developing women’s cricket programme.
• 🇲🇾 Malaysia Women — Qualified through the ACC Women’s Asian Games Qualifier 2025.
• 🇹🇭 Thailand Women — Most consistent non-Test women’s T20I side in Asia. Qualified through the ACC Women’s Qualifier. Real upset potential.
• 🇯🇵 Japan Women — Automatic host nation qualification. Home crowd support could make them a dangerous opponent in the Quarter-Finals.

Women’s Quarter-Final Draw

Date	Match	Time (IST)
Sep 17, 2026	Bangladesh vs China	05:30
Sep 17, 2026	Pakistan vs Thailand	10:30
Sep 18, 2026	Sri Lanka vs Malaysia	05:30
Sep 18, 2026	India vs Japan	10:30

Who Missed Out on Qualification?

Several Asian cricket nations competed in the qualifier events but could not secure a berth:

• Afghanistan Women — Not eligible. The Taliban government’s ban on women’s sport prevents Afghanistan’s women’s team from participating in international events under ACC governance.
• UAE Men — Did not qualify for the 2026 tournament despite competing in the ACC Asian Games Qualifier 2025.
• Singapore Women — Knocked out during the ACC Women’s Asian Games Qualifier 2025.

Tournament Schedule at a Glance

Stage	Dates	Tournament
Quarter-Finals	Sep 17–18, 2026	Women’s
Semi-Finals	Sep 20, 2026	Women’s
Gold Medal Final	Sep 22, 2026	Women’s
Preliminary Groups	Sep 24–26, 2026	Men’s
Quarter-Finals	Sep 28–29, 2026	Men’s
Semi-Finals	Oct 1, 2026	Men’s
Bronze & Gold Finals	Oct 3, 2026	Men’s

All matches are held at Kōrogi Sports Park, Nisshin, Aichi. Live coverage in India is on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV.