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The much-awaited India-Pakistan clash at the upcoming Asian Games 2026 is all set for a disappointing twist for cricket fans. The two biggest rivals, India and Pakistan, will not face each other in the opening stages of the men’s competition at the Asian Games 2026.
The Asian Games 2026 will be held from September 19 to October 4 in Japan. Cricket matches that will be played in the T20 format will begin on September 17 and continue until October 3. The women’s competition will be played first, with its final set for September 22 followed by men’s.
All cricket matches will be played at Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, Japan. India has already announced their squad for the Asian Games 2026. Shreyas Iyer will lead the men’s team, while Harmanpreet Kaur will captain the women’s side in the competition. Amid this, ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta drops a big warning on the future of bilateral series.
India-Pakistan rivalry set for possible Gold or Bronze battle at Asian Games 2026
In a disappointing development for cricket fans, India-Pakistan matches across the men’s and women’s categories will be played only in the final stages, only if both teams reach there. The biggest rivals can face each other only in the gold-medal match or the bronze-medal play-off.
However, this clash is not guaranteed in the Asian Games 2026. India and Pakistan must first win their quarterfinals and semifinals before they can think about facing each other. India and Pakistan are the top two seeded teams in the men’s competition.
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have also secured direct spots in the quarterfinals. India will play their quarterfinal on September 28. They are placed in Quarterfinal 2. Pakistan will also play their quarterfinal on the same day, but they are in Quarterfinal 1. Both teams’ opponents are not known yet.
They will come from the teams that make it through the group stage. Afghanistan, Nepal, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Malaysia, and Oman will be part of the group-stage battle. Six teams from the group stage will move forward to the knockout round.
India-Pakistan cannot meet in the semifinals!
The semifinal draw has separated India and Pakistan again. The winner of India’s quarterfinal will play the winner of Quarterfinal 3 in the semifinals. Pakistan’s quarterfinal winner will meet the winner of Quarterfinal 4. Both semifinals will be played on October 1.
This means India and Pakistan cannot meet in the quarterfinal or semifinal of the upcoming games. If both India and Pakistan win all their matches, the arch-rivals could face each other in the gold-medal final on October 3.
There is another possibility. If one team reaches the final and the other loses its semifinal, they could meet in the bronze-medal play-off on the same day. So, every possible India-Pakistan meeting in the men’s competition will be a medal game. Amid this, Umar Akmal slams PCB for removing Babar Azam, questions his return as Pakistan captain.
India-Pakistan women’s clash gets same twist at Asian Games 2026
This scenario is the same for the women’s competition. India's women are the top-seeded team, while Pakistan is seeded fourth. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are placed above Pakistan in the seeding order. India will face Japan in the quarterfinal.
If they win, their semifinal opponent will be either Bangladesh or Hong Kong, China. Pakistan will meet Thailand in their quarterfinal. If Pakistan qualifies for the semifinal, they will face either Sri Lanka or Malaysia. Because of this draw, India and Pakistan cannot meet before the medal matches in the women’s event too in the upcoming Asian Games 2026.
A possible India-Pakistan meeting can happen only in the final or bronze-medal play-off, both scheduled for September 22.
