The men’s cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games starts on Thursday 24 September at the Kōrogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture, and runs until 3 October. Ten teams are taking part, and every match is a T20.
How the format works
Teams were seeded using the ICC men’s T20I rankings from late July. The six lowest-seeded sides were drawn into two groups of three for a preliminary round, played from 24 to 26 September. The top two from each group go through to the quarter-finals.
That is where the four highest-seeded teams join the tournament, having received byes. From the quarter-finals onwards it is straight knockout cricket through to the medal matches.
Little room for error
For the seeded sides, the bye is a mixed blessing. They avoid the risk of the group stage, but their first match is a knockout game, so one poor evening ends the campaign.
The men’s event follows the women’s competition at the same ground, where India beat Sri Lanka in the final on 22 September.
