Eight teams will compete in the women’s cricket tournament at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 17 to 22, 2026. The competition will feature a straight knockout format, with no group stage, meaning every team begins its campaign in the quarter-finals.
The eight-team field consists of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, who qualified automatically as Asia’s ICC Full Members with women’s teams, hosts Japan, and qualifying teams Thailand, Malaysia and China. Thailand and Malaysia reached the qualifying tournament final, while China secured the third and final qualification spot.
India Women enter as defending Asian Games champions after winning gold in Hangzhou in 2023. However, they will be without Jemimah Rodrigues, who has been ruled out of both the Women’s Asia Cup and the Asian Games because of a high-grade right hamstring tear.
Women’s Asian Games 2026 – Teams at a Glance
The official schedule has placed all eight teams directly into the quarter-finals. The winners will progress to the semifinals on September 20, followed by the bronze-medal match and gold-medal match on September 22.
| Team | Quarter-final Opponent | Captain / Key Leader | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | Japan | Harmanpreet Kaur | Automatic |
| Japan | India | Mai Yanagida | Host nation |
| Bangladesh | China | Nigar Sultana Joty | Automatic |
| China | Bangladesh | To be confirmed | Qualifier |
| Sri Lanka | Malaysia | Chamari Athapaththu* | Automatic |
| Malaysia | Sri Lanka | To be confirmed | Qualifier |
| Pakistan | Thailand | Fatima Sana | Automatic |
| Thailand | Pakistan | To be confirmed | Qualifier |
India
India Women will begin their gold-medal defence against hosts Japan on September 18. As the defending champions, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side will be one of the strongest contenders, with an experienced core featuring Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh and Renuka Thakur.
Jemimah Rodrigues will miss the tournament after suffering a high-grade hamstring tear during The Hundred. The BCCI confirmed her absence from both the Women’s Asia Cup and the Asian Games.
Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur(C), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Gunalan Kamalini, Bharti Fulmali, Sree Charani, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav and Nandani Sharma.
Pakistan
Pakistan will face Thailand in the opening round, with Fatima Sana confirmed as captain. The PCB has already announced its 15-member Asian Games squad, giving Pakistan one of the clearest pre-tournament team pictures among the eight sides.
Squad: Fatima Sana(C), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Eman Naseer, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza, Humna Bilal, Momina Riasat, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Nashra Sundhu, Saira Jabeen, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan and Umm-e-Hani Pakistan won women’s cricket gold at the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games and will again target a place on the podium.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh will take on China in the quarter-finals. Nigar Sultana Joty continues to be one of the team’s key leaders, with experienced players such as Nahida Akter, Ritu Moni and Shorna Akter providing further balance.
Bangladesh qualified automatically for the Asian Games as one of the four Asian ICC Full Members with a women’s team. The side will see the China match as an important opportunity to reach the semifinals and put itself in contention for a medal.
Squad: Sharmin Akter, Sarmin Sultana, Sobhana Mostary, Shorna Akter, Rabeya Khan, Nigar Sultana (C), Dilara Akter, Juairiya Ferdous, Nahida Akter, Fahima Khatun, Marufa Akter, Sultana Khatun, Shanjida Akter Meghla, Fariha Trisna
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka face Malaysia in their quarter-final and will be among the favourites to progress. The side has a strong recent Asian Games record, having won the silver medal in the 2023 edition.
Chamari Athapaththu remains the leading figure in Sri Lankan women’s cricket, with the latest squad picture also featuring players such as Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilhari and Nilakshika Silva. Sri Lanka’s confirmed quarter-final against Malaysia gives them a direct route into the medal rounds.
Japan
Hosts Japan face the toughest possible opening test against defending champions India. However, home conditions and familiarity with the venue could give the Japanese side valuable experience in their biggest match of the tournament.
Japan have already announced their women’s national team for the 2026 Asian Games, with Mai Yanagida listed as captain. Their presence in the tournament was secured automatically as the host nation.
Thailand
Thailand qualified for the Asian Games after reaching the final of the qualifying tournament in Kuala Lumpur and then defeating Malaysia by nine wickets in the final. They will now face Pakistan in the quarter-finals.
The Thai team has plenty of international experience, with players such as Naruemol Chaiwai, Natthakan Chantham and Nannapat Koncharoenkai forming an important part of their recent national-team setup. Their quarter-final against Pakistan will be one of the most competitive opening-round matches.
Malaysia
Malaysia booked their Asian Games place by reaching the final of the women’s qualifying tournament. Although they lost that final to Thailand, their qualification ensured a place among the eight teams in Japan.
Malaysia face Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals and enter as underdogs against the 2023 silver medallists. A victory would represent one of the biggest results in Malaysian women’s cricket history.
China
China claimed the final qualifying spot after defeating Nepal in the third-place play-off of the Kuala Lumpur qualifier. The result completed the eight-team field for the women’s tournament.
China will face Bangladesh in the quarter-finals, with the match offering the team an immediate opportunity to make a statement on one of Asian cricket’s biggest stages. A win would send China into the semifinals and guarantee a chance to compete for a medal.
The Road to the Medal Matches
With no group stage, the Women’s Asian Games 2026 cricket tournament leaves little room for error. One defeat in the quarter-finals ends a team’s gold-medal hopes immediately, while the semifinal winners will progress to the gold-medal match on September 22. The two losing semifinalists will compete for bronze.
India start as defending champions, but Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh also have the experience to challenge for the podium. Meanwhile, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and China will look to produce an upset and turn the knockout tournament on its head.
