India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh Handed Direct Entry to Asian Games Cricket Knockouts

The draw for cricket at the 2026 Asian Games was announced on Thursday, and India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have all been handed direct entry into the men's knockout stage as the top four seeds.

The men's competition has 10 teams. The remaining six — Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal and Oman — will play a preliminary round for the four spots left in the quarter-finals. Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal make up Group A, while Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman form Group B. The top two from each group advance to face the seeded sides.

The draw also keeps India and Pakistan apart, meaning the two can only meet if both reach the final. The men's event runs from September 24 to October 1 in Nagoya.

The women's tournament, running September 17 to 22, starts straight from the quarter-finals with eight teams. The opening fixtures are: India vs Japan, Bangladesh vs China, Sri Lanka vs Malaysia, and Pakistan vs Thailand.

India enter both events as defending champions after sweeping gold in both the men's and women's competitions at Hangzhou 2023.