India will face Afghanistan in the second quarter-final of the men’s cricket tournament at the Asian Games 2026 on Monday, September 28. The match will take place at the Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan.
The quarter-final lineup was confirmed after the rain-affected group stage ended on September 26. Japan were eliminated after a washout against Nepal, who finished top of Group A, while Afghanistan secured second place and earned a quarter-final against India.
India will enter the Asian Games with a strong squad led by captain Shreyas Iyer. The team recently completed a 3-0 T20I series win over Afghanistan in India and will look to carry that momentum into the knockout stage.
Afghanistan had a mixed group-stage campaign. Darwish Rasooli’s side beat Japan by 48 runs but then suffered a five-wicket defeat against Nepal. They will now need a strong performance to challenge India and keep their medal hopes alive.
IND vs AFG Match Preview & Recent Form
India bring strong T20I momentum into the Asian Games knockout stage. The Indian batting lineup has plenty of firepower, led by Abhishek Sharma, who recently smashed a record-fast T20I century against Afghanistan in New Delhi. Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma add further strength to the top order.
India also have a well-balanced bowling attack. Jasprit Bumrah leads the pace attack alongside Arshdeep Singh, while Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Ravi Bishnoi provide plenty of spin options to exploit slow and turning pitches.
Afghanistan rely on a mix of youth and experience. Captain Darwish Rasooli will lead the top order, while Najibullah Zadran will be an important batter in the middle and death overs. Wicketkeeper Mohammad Ishaq and Karim Janat will also need to make valuable contributions.
Afghanistan’s main strength is their spin-heavy bowling attack. Young spinner Arab Gul Momand comes into the match after taking four wickets against Japan. Nangeyalia Kharoti adds another spin option who could trouble Indian batters on a slow surface.
IND vs AFG Live Streaming, Live Telecast: Where To Watch Asian Games 2026 Quarter-Final?
Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs Afghanistan Asian Games quarter-final live on the Sony Sports Network. The match will also be available for live streaming on the Sony LIV app and website. Coverage from Nisshin is scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM IST.
IND vs AFG Pitch Report: How Will Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park Play?
The Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park has produced slow surfaces that assist spin bowlers. Batters have found it difficult to score freely, with the average first-innings score standing at 108 across the four completed group-stage matches at the venue.
Fast bowlers can get some movement with the new ball, but spin is likely to remain the key factor. Batters can score boundaries once they adjust to the pace of the surface, as Nepal’s Sundeep Jora showed with his 57 off 32 balls against Japan.
Two wins each for teams batting first and chasing. With recent rain interruptions and overcast conditions, the toss could be important, and captains may prefer to bowl first to account for possible weather disruptions and the DLS method.
Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park T20 Stats
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Total Matches: 5 (4 completed, 1 no result)
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Won Batting First: 2
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Won Bowling First: 2
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Average 1st Innings Score: 108
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Average 2nd Innings Score: 87
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Highest Team Total: 149/4 (Nepal vs Japan)
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Lowest Team Total: 80/6 (Oman vs Hong Kong, China) & 81 (Japan vs Afghanistan)
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Highest Score Chased: 103/5 (Nepal vs Afghanistan)
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Lowest Score Defended: 121/8 (Hong Kong, China vs Oman)
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Highest Individual Score: 57 (Sundeep Jora, Nepal vs Japan, 2026)
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Best Bowling Figures: 4/8 (Arab Gul Momand, Afghanistan vs Japan, 2026)
IND vs AFG Weather Forecast & Rain Threat at Korogi Sports Park
Weather conditions in Nisshin are expected to remain humid with intermittent cloud cover during the quarter-final. With the match scheduled for a 1:30 PM local start (10:00 AM IST), the afternoon humidity could test the players.
Cloudy conditions could offer some early swing for fast bowlers. Following the complete washout of the recent Nepal vs Japan fixture, both teams will keep a close eye on the weather. However, the forecast suggests a possibility of passing showers, which could affect play.
IND vs AFG Team News & Injury Updates
India have a highly experienced squad assembled for their campaign, with these players also separated from the simultaneous bilateral ODI commitments back home. However, mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy was ruled out of the Asian Games due to a side strain before the tournament.
The Indian management is expected to field its strongest lineup for this crucial knockout fixture. Shreyas Iyer will captain the side, with Shivam Dube providing power in the middle order and Jasprit Bumrah leading the pace attack.
Afghanistan have a settled squad despite their mixed group-stage results. Darwish Rasooli will continue to lead the side, which gained valuable experience against India during their recent bilateral T20I series.
IND vs AFG Predicted Playing 11 Today
India Predicted Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
Afghanistan Predicted Playing XI: Mohammad Akram, Hassan Eisakhil, Karim Janat, Darwish Rasooli (c), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Faisal Shinozada, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Nangeyalia Kharoti, Arab Gul Momand.
IND vs AFG Key Player Battles to Watch
Abhishek Sharma vs Arab Gul Momand:
Abhishek Sharma will look to attack during the powerplay and put pressure on Afghanistan early. Arab Gul Momand took four wickets against Japan and will look to use the slow conditions to trouble the left-handed opener.
Shreyas Iyer vs Nangeyalia Kharoti:
Shreyas Iyer will be an important batter against spin during the middle overs. Nangeyalia Kharoti will look to vary his pace and flight to restrict the Indian captain and force him into mistakes.
Darwish Rasooli vs Jasprit Bumrah:
Darwish Rasooli will be a key player for Afghanistan. Jasprit Bumrah’s pace, bounce, and yorkers will pose a major challenge for the Afghan captain. The Indian pacer will look to dismiss the Afghan skipper early.
IND vs AFG Key Players to Watch
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India: Abhishek Sharma, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah
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Afghanistan: Darwish Rasooli, Arab Gul Momand, Nangeyalia Kharoti
