Cricket at Asian Games 2026: India begins road to LA28 by aiming to strike gold again
India will defend its Asian Games cricket titles in Japan, but the tournament also offers a crucial glimpse into the teams being built for Los Angeles 2028.
Updated : Sep 17, 2026 19:15 IST - 3 MINS READ
The tournament comes at an important point in India’s T20 cycle, with cricket returning to the Olympics at Los Angeles 2028 and the Games offering another look at the players and combinations that could shape its teams over the next two years. | Photo Credit: AFP
The tournament comes at an important point in India’s T20 cycle, with cricket returning to the Olympics at Los Angeles 2028 and the Games offering another look at the players and combinations that could shape its teams over the next two years. | Photo Credit: AFP
For Indian cricket, the Asian Games in Japan is no longer just about defending two gold medals.
It comes at an important point in India’s T20 cycle, with cricket returning to the Olympics at Los Angeles 2028 and the Games offering another look at the players and combinations that could shape its teams over the next two years.
The men’s team is considerably stronger than the one sent to Hangzhou, where India fielded a largely second-string side. Shreyas Iyer will lead a squad featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Washington Sundar, among others. Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose emergence has already attracted considerable attention, is also in the group.
For Shreyas, the Asian Games is an important early assignment as India’s T20 captain: leading a side expected to win while getting a better sense of the players who could form its core going forward. Sooryavanshi, Abhishek and Tilak, in particular, have an opportunity to strengthen their claims in a tournament with little room for error. India enters directly at the quarterfinal stage, alongside Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, meaning one poor game can end the campaign.
Bumrah’s inclusion underlines the seriousness with which India is approaching the tournament, which also falls within an important period for its Olympic qualification campaign. Winning in Aichi-Nagoya will not itself secure a place at LA28.
For the men, qualification is tied to the ICC T20I rankings, with the highest-ranked eligible Asian team at the end of 2026 securing the continent’s direct berth, subject to the qualification criteria. India will want to maintain its position at the top of the rankings.
The women arrive with a different equation. Unlike the men, they have already secured their place at LA28 as the highest-placed eligible Asian team at the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup. Harmanpreet’s side can therefore focus on retaining its title while building towards Los Angeles.
Show of faith: Harmanpreet Kaur will continue to lead India at this year’s Asian Games in Japan, with the selectors backing the veteran captain despite the team’s early exit from the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England. | Photo Credit: AP
Show of faith: Harmanpreet Kaur will continue to lead India at this year’s Asian Games in Japan, with the selectors backing the veteran captain despite the team’s early exit from the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England. | Photo Credit: AP
Harmanpreet Kaur’s team is the defending champion, with Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh and Renuka Singh forming an experienced core alongside emerging players such as G. Kamalini, N. Sree Charani and Kranti Gaud.
With only six teams competing in the Olympic T20 tournament, India will need depth and flexibility rather than a side built around a few familiar names, and Japan will help clarify where the senior players fit in that longer-term picture.
Then there is Pakistan. The draw keeps the two teams apart until the medal stage, leaving open the possibility of an India-Pakistan final in either competition.
The squads have also had to navigate concerns over hotel allocation and accommodation arrangements in Japan, an unwelcome complication in a short knockout tournament where recovery and routine matter. It is a reminder that, unlike a conventional bilateral series, India’s cricket teams are operating within the wider logistical demands of a multi-sport event.
India will be expected to leave Aichi-Nagoya with both gold medals. Beyond the results, however, the Games mark an important step in India’s transition from defending its Asian Games titles to preparing for a return to the Olympic stage.
Published on Sep 17, 2026
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