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India and Pakistan will not face each other in the early rounds of the Asian Games 2026 cricket competition, but the arch-rivals could still produce a blockbuster encounter on the continental stage. With both men’s teams seeded directly into the quarter-finals, their routes have been mapped out in a way that means India and Pakistan can meet only in the last stage of the Asian Games. The same possibility exists in the women’s competition as well, adding another layer of anticipation to the Nagoya Games.

India’s Asian Games 2026 Campaign: When Can They Face Pakistan?

The Asian Games will take place from September 19 to October 4, while the cricket tournament will begin earlier, running from September 17 to October 3. In the men’s event, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have received direct entry into the quarter-finals, with India drawn into Quarterfinal 2 and Pakistan placed in Quarterfinal 1. Both matches are scheduled for September 28.

India’s potential route takes them towards the winners of Quarterfinal 3 in the semi-finals on October 1. Pakistan, meanwhile, will face the winners of Quarterfinal 4 if they progress from their quarter-final. As a result, the two sides cannot meet in the semi-finals.

India vs Pakistan will therefore come in the gold-medal match or the bronze-medal play-off, both scheduled for October 3.

All cricket matches will be played at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya under the T20 format. India have already announced their squads for the competition, with Shreyas Iyer leading the India men’s national cricket team and Harmanpreet Kaur captaining the women’s side.

Asian Games 2026 Cricket Competition: Format, Teams And Schedule

The Asian Games men’s cricket competition features 10 teams, with Afghanistan, Nepal, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Malaysia and Oman joining the four directly seeded quarter-finalists. The women’s tournament has eight teams, with India seeded first and Pakistan fourth.

The India women’s national cricket team will face Japan in the quarter-final, while Pakistan take on Thailand. If both advance, their paths remain separate until the final or third-place match on September 22.