India’s men’s cricket campaign at the 2026 Asian Games will begin earlier than originally planned after organisers revised the timings of several knockout matches in Japan.
India have been seeded directly into the quarter-finals alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The Indian team will face the second placed side from Group A in the quarter-final. Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal are competing in that group, with the top two teams progressing to the knockout stage. Semi-Final And Final Timings If India advance beyond the quarter-final, their next match will also have an afternoon start.
Their first match of the tournament is therefore scheduled for September 28. India, who enter the competition directly at the quarter-final stage, will now play their opening knockout fixture at 1:30 pm local time on September 28. Since Japan is 3 hours and 30 minutes ahead of India, the match will begin at 10 am IST. The change also affects the second semi-final on October 1 and the men’s gold medal match on October 3. Both have been moved to a 1:30 pm local start. The official Aichi-Nagoya 2026 schedule confirms the updated timings. The first quarter-final, involving Pakistan, will retain its 9 am local start. India’s match will be played later that day at 1:30 pm. The second semi-final on October 1 is scheduled for 1:30 pm Japan time, while the first semi-final will begin at 9 am. The same pattern will continue for the medal matches on October 3. The bronze medal contest is scheduled for 9 am, followed by the gold medal match at 1:30 pm local time. For Indian viewers, the timings translate to 10 am IST for both the second semi-final and the final.
