Asian games 2026: India’s men’s cricket team will begin its bid to defend the Asian Games gold medal against Afghanistan on September 28, but rain could disrupt the highly anticipated quarter-final in Nisshin.

Shreyas Iyer’s side enters the knockout stage as one of the tournament’s top-seeded teams and will be looking to add another cricket gold to India’s medal tally after Harmanpreet Kaur’s women’s team secured the title by defeating Sri Lanka in the final.

However, weather conditions have emerged as a major concern ahead of the India-Afghanistan clash. Rain has already affected matches at the Nisshin venue during the tournament, including the Malaysia-Oman fixture and Japan-Nepal game. The latter was abandoned after persistent rain, helping determine the final quarter-final line-up.

Washout Could Send India Into Semifinals

A complete washout would not necessarily end India’s campaign. With the Indian team entering the quarter-final as a higher-seeded side, a no-result would see them progress to the semi-finals under the tournament’s qualification rules.

The fixture also has an element of familiarity. India and Afghanistan were involved in the gold-medal match at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, although that contest was abandoned because of rain. India were awarded the gold medal as the higher-ranked team.

This time, however, India have a significantly experienced squad at their disposal. Iyer has been named captain, with Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain. The squad also features senior international names such as Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Sanju Samson.

Iyer Leads Strong India Squad

India’s batting options include Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma and teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Ravi Bishnoi, Vipraj Nigam and Washington Sundar add spin options, while Bumrah, Arshdeep and Yash Thakur form part of the pace attack.

Iyer will also be chasing another major achievement as captain. He has previously led Mumbai to a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title and captained Kolkata Knight Riders to an IPL title, while also taking Punjab Kings to the IPL final in 2025.

India have already secured gold in the women’s cricket competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. The men’s side will now attempt to complete a cricket double by retaining the title they won in Hangzhou.

India’s men’s cricket squad for the Asian Games comprises Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Vipraj Nigam, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Thakur, Arshdeep Singh and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.