India and Pakistan’s Meeting at Asian Games 2026 Limited to Medal Matches
In the upcoming Asian Games 2026, India and Pakistan will have limited opportunities to clash in cricket. The tournament’s draw has placed the two rivals in such a way that they can only meet in medal matches for both men’s and women’s cricket events.
As reported, India and Pakistan have been put on opposite sides of the draw for the cricket tournament, which will take place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. This structure, unlike recent ICC tournaments, ensures that the teams won’t face each other until the very end, specifically in the gold-medal match or the bronze-medal playoff. If either team doesn’t reach the same medal match, they may not meet at all.
Men’s Cricket Schedule
- Quarter-finals:
- Pakistan will play in Quarter-final 1
- India will play in Quarter-final 2
The Asian Games are set to run from September 19 to October 4, with the cricket matches happening from September 17 to October 3. The women’s matches will occur first, followed by the men’s games, all played in a T20 format at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium.
In the men’s competition, a total of 10 teams will participate. Notably, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have received direct entry to the quarter-finals. India will compete in Quarter-final 2, while Pakistan is in Quarter-final 1, both scheduled for September 28. The other teams, including Afghanistan and several others, will have to go through the group stage to reach the last eight.
Semi-Final Draw
The semi-final matches further separate the two teams:
- Winner of Quarter-final 1 will face the winner of Quarter-final 3
- Winner of Quarter-final 2 will take on the winner of Quarter-final 4
These semi-finals are slated for October 1, meaning India and Pakistan cannot encounter one another until a potential gold-medal match. If both teams proceed to the finals, they will only clash for the gold medal. Alternatively, if they lose in the semi-finals, they could meet in the bronze-medal playoff, also scheduled for October 3.
Women’s Draw
The same setup applies to the women’s competition, ensuring India and Pakistan will not meet in the earlier stages. India is the top-seeded team in the women’s tournament and is set to play Japan in their quarter-final. If they advance, their next opponent would be either Bangladesh or Hong Kong, China.
Pakistan, seeded fourth, will face Thailand in their quarter-final. A victory here would lead them to a semi-final clash against either Sri Lanka or Malaysia. Hence, a potential India-Pakistan matchup in the women’s tournament can occur only in the gold-medal match or the bronze-medal playoff.
Women’s Cricket Schedule
-
Quarter-finals:
- India vs Japan
- Pakistan vs Thailand
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Semi-finals:
- Winner of India-Japan vs Winner of Bangladesh-Hong Kong
- Winner of Pakistan-Thailand vs Winner of Sri Lanka-Malaysia
India has already announced the squads for the Games, with Shreyas Iyer leading the men’s team and Harmanpreet Kaur at the helm of the women’s side.
