The bureaucrats have spun the wheel. The schedule for the 2026 Asian Games cricket tournament in Nagoya is out, and to the surprise of absolutely nobody, the organizers have ensured India and Pakistan won’t clash until the stakes—and the TV ratings—are at their absolute peak. It is the usual dance. Both heavyweights, alongside Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, get a free pass straight into the men’s quarter-finals. Why sweat the small stuff?
It’s T20. It counts as full internationals, apparently. The women get the stage first, running from September 17 to 22. The men follow immediately after, wrapping up on October 1 at Korogi Athletic Park. It’s a nice park. Let’s hope the pitch behaves.
Before the big boys show up, the lesser mortals have to fight for survival. Six teams are split into two groups. Group A features Afghanistan, Nepal, and the hosts, Japan. Group B has Malaysia, Oman, and Hong Kong. Two from each group will survive this preliminary meat grinder to join the seeded giants in the quarter-finals. India will draw one of these battle-weary qualifiers. Pakistan sits on the opposite side of the bracket. A dream final is the goal. Obviously.
On the women’s side, India begins its gold defense against Japan. It should be a mismatch. If they don’t slip up, a semi-final against either China or Bangladesh awaits. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka draws Malaysia, and Pakistan will face Thailand.
India swept the board in Hangzhou back in 2023. Double gold. The pressure is on to repeat the trick in Japan, but in cricket, nothing is ever guaranteed. Except, of course, the broadcast revenue.
