Ten teams will compete in the men’s cricket tournament at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 24 to October 3. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been seeded directly into the quarter-finals, while Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal, Hong Kong China, Malaysia and Oman will compete in the preliminary stage.
As of the latest official announcements, India, Afghanistan, Oman and Pakistan have confirmed their squads for the tournament. The squads of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Japan, Nepal, Hong Kong China and Malaysia are yet to be officially announced and will be added once confirmed by their respective cricket boards.
Men’s Asian Games 2026 – Teams at a Glance
The preliminary stage features Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal in Group A, while Hong Kong China, Malaysia and Oman make up Group B.
| Team | Tournament Status | Squad Status |
|---|---|---|
| India | Seeded – Direct to Quarter-finals | Confirmed |
| Pakistan | Seeded – Direct to Quarter-finals | Confirmed |
| Sri Lanka | Seeded – Direct to Quarter-finals | To be announced |
| Bangladesh | Seeded – Direct to Quarter-finals | To be announced |
| Afghanistan | Group A | Confirmed |
| Japan | Group A | To be announced |
| Nepal | Group A | To be announced |
| Hong Kong China | Group B | To be announced |
| Malaysia | Group B | To be announced |
| Oman | Group B | Confirmed |
The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals.
India
India enter the 2026 Asian Games as defending champions after winning the gold medal at Hangzhou 2023. The team will be led by Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma named vice-captain.
Confirmed Squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vc), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
India will enter the competition directly in the quarter-finals and are scheduled to face the Group A runner-up.
Pakistan
Pakistan have also announced their squad for the Asian Games, with opening batter Sahibzada Farhan set to lead the side. Abdul Samad has been named vice-captain.
Confirmed Squad: Sahibzada Farhan (c), Abdul Samad (vc), Usman Khan (wk), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub and Sufyan Moqim.
Pakistan will begin their campaign directly in the quarter-finals, where they are scheduled to face the Group B runner-up.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan have officially announced their Asian Games squad, with Darwish Rasooli named captain of the side. The squad includes a mix of experienced domestic players and emerging Afghan talent.
Confirmed Squad: Darwish Rasooli (c), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Mohammad Akram, Hassan Eisakhil, Khalid Taniwal, Imran Mir, Faisal Khan Shinozada, Najibullah Zadran, Farmanullah Safi, Ismat Alam, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Arab Gul Momand, Faridoon Dawoodzai and Abdullah Ahmadzai.
Afghanistan will compete in Group A alongside Japan and Nepal, with a top-two finish required to reach the quarter-finals.
Oman
Oman have also announced their squad for the 2026 Asian Games. The team will compete in Group B alongside Hong Kong China and Malaysia as they look to secure one of the two available quarter-final spots.
Confirmed Squad: Waheed Al Balushi, Zubair Al Balushi, Naveed Al Balushi, Faris Al Balushi, Mohammed Osman, Muzaffar Shiralkar, Sufyan Mehmood(C), Mohammed Al Balushi, Shuaib Al Balushi, Wasim Al Balushi, Qais Al Balushi, Abdul Jalil, Ahmad Al Zadjali, Sameer Othman
Oman will need to finish among the top two teams in Group B to progress to the knockout stage.
Remaining Teams Awaiting Squad Announcements
The following teams are part of the Men’s Asian Games 2026 cricket tournament, but their final squads had not yet been officially announced at the time of writing:
- Sri Lanka
- Bangladesh
- Japan
- Nepal
- Hong Kong China
- Malaysia
Their confirmed squads, captains and key players will be added to this article once officially announced by the respective cricket boards.
Men’s Asian Games 2026 Qualification Scenario
The tournament will feature a preliminary stage followed by the knockout rounds. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have already qualified directly for the quarter-finals, while the other six teams must first compete in two groups.
- The top two teams from Group A will qualify for the quarter-finals.
- The top two teams from Group B will qualify for the quarter-finals.
- India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will then join the four qualified teams in the knockout stage.
- The four quarter-final winners will advance to the semifinals.
- The semifinal winners will compete for the gold medal, while the losing teams will play for bronze.
