Cricket is set to return for the 20th Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, 2026, as confirmed by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).
Although the decision still awaits final approval by the OCA Board, officials say it is largely a formality. “The OCA Board will still need to approve it, although we think that is just a formality. But until they do, it is not 100 percent,” a Japan Cricket Association (JCA) official told media. The announcement came during the OCA’s third Coordination Committee Meeting held between April 30 and May 2.
As with previous editions, cricket will be played in the T20 format. The final list of participating teams is expected to be announced following further deliberations later this week.
In the previous edition held in Hangzhou in 2022, India dominated the cricket competition, claiming gold in both the men’s and women’s categories. Fourteen men’s and nine women’s teams participated in that tournament.
Pakistan endured a disappointing campaign in Hangzhou. Entering the tournament at the quarterfinal stage, the men's team—comprising a second-string squad led by Qasim Akram—was eliminated without playing a full match, as their rain-hit fixture against Afghanistan ended with no result. Afghanistan advanced to the semifinals on the basis of a higher seeding from the group stages.
The second-string nature of Pakistan’s squad was attributed to scheduling clashes with the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India, which saw the senior national team unavailable for the Asian Games.
Organisers of the 2026 edition are currently exploring venue options, with Aichi Prefecture selected as the general location for cricket events. The exact site remains undecided. Reports indicate a modular stadium—similar to the one constructed in New York for the ICC T20 World Cup—may be utilised.
“Interest will be high—not only because of cricket's popularity in South Asia but also because the T20 format will be included in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028,” the OCA noted in its statement.
Cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympics will mark its first Olympic appearance since 1900, when Great Britain defeated France in a two-team contest in Paris.
The 2026 Asian Games are expected to feature 41 sports and draw nearly 15,000 athletes and officials from across the OCA’s 45 member National Olympic Committees. With cricket making a comeback, attention will turn to whether traditional powerhouses like Pakistan can bounce back from recent setbacks on the continental stage.
