India and Pakistan: India and Pakistan fans hoping for another high-voltage cricket clash at the 2026 Asian Games will have to wait until the medal rounds. The men’s tournament features 10 teams, with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka earning direct quarterfinal berths. The remaining six teams will battle through two preliminary groups for the four remaining knockout spots.
India and Pakistan cannot meet in the quarterfinals
The draw has placed India and Pakistan in separate quarterfinal fixtures. Pakistan are assigned to Quarterfinal 1, while India will play Quarterfinal 2, with both matches scheduled for September 28. Their opponents will be determined by the preliminary round.
Group A consists of Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal, while Group B features Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Oman. The top two teams from each group will progress to the quarterfinals and complete the last-eight lineup.
Full men’s quarterfinal bracket explained
The knockout pathway is structured to keep India and Pakistan apart until the medal matches.
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Quarterfinal 1: Pakistan vs Group-stage qualifier
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Quarterfinal 2: India vs Group-stage qualifier
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Quarterfinal 3: Bangladesh vs Group-stage qualifier
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Quarterfinal 4: Sri Lanka vs Group-stage qualifier
The quarterfinals are scheduled across September 28 and 29. The winners then move into the semifinals on October 1.
India vs Pakistan: When can they meet?
The semifinal draw keeps the two rivals on opposite sides. The winner of Quarterfinal 2 faces the winner of Quarterfinal 3, while the winner of Quarterfinal 1 takes on the winner of Quarterfinal 4.
Therefore, India and Pakistan cannot face each other in the semifinals either. If both teams win their quarterfinal and semifinal matches, their next meeting would come in the gold-medal match on October 3.
There is another possibility. If India and Pakistan both lose their respective semifinals, they could meet in the bronze-medal match, also scheduled for October 3.
India enter as defending champions
India enters the competition as the defending men’s Asian Games champions after winning gold at the Hangzhou Games, held in 2023. The men’s tournament will be played in the T20 format, with the competition beginning on September 24.
Shreyas Iyer will lead India’s men’s side, with the squad also featuring players such as Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.
Final India-Pakistan scenario
So, will India face Pakistan at the 2026 Asian Games? Yes, it is possible but only at the very end of the tournament in the medal matches. A final meeting requires both teams to win their quarterfinals and semifinals. If both lose in the semifinals, they could instead clash for bronze.
For now, the bracket guarantees that the blockbuster rivalry will remain off the table through the quarterfinal and semifinal stages, making October 3 the potential date for an India-Pakistan showdown in Nagoya.
Both Teams Squads
India Men’s Squad: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Tilak Varma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Pakistan Men’s Squad: Sahibzada Farhan (Captain), Abdul Samad, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Usman Khan (WK), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Salman Mirza, Sufyan Moqim.
