Indian Men's Cricket Team Prepares for Asian Games 2026 Quarter-Final Against Afghanistan

The Indian men's cricket team has arrived in Nagoya, ready to face Afghanistan in the quarter-finals of the Asian Games 2026. Led by Shreyas Iyer, the team aims to defend their gold medal from the previous edition. With a strong lineup featuring experienced players and VVS Laxman as head coach, India is determined to replicate the success of the women's team, who recently secured gold. The knockout stage promises exciting matches, with India looking to continue their winning streak. Will they achieve their goal of a second consecutive gold medal? Read on to find out more.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 26, 2026, 13:10 IST

Arrival in Nagoya

On Saturday, the Indian men's cricket team landed in Nagoya, gearing up for their quarter-final match against Afghanistan in the Asian Games 2026. Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, the team aims to defend the gold medal they secured in the previous edition held in Hangzhou.

Team Composition and Coaching Staff

The squad is packed with seasoned international players, with T20 captain Shreyas Iyer at the helm. Key members include Abhishek Sharma, wicketkeepers Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, vice-captain Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and Yash Thakur. VVS Laxman, a former Indian cricketer, serves as the head coach for this tournament.

Defending the Gold Medal

India enters this tournament with the goal of retaining the gold medal they won in Hangzhou in 2023. In that final, India faced Afghanistan, but the match was abandoned due to rain, resulting in India being awarded the title as the higher-seeded team. Ruturaj Gaikwad captained the team during that event.

Knockout Stage Overview

The men's cricket event at the Aichi-Nagoya Games has progressed to the knockout phase after the first round concluded. Afghanistan and Nepal advanced to the quarter-finals from Group A, following the abandonment of Japan's match against Nepal due to rain. Nepal topped the group, while Japan was eliminated. Nepal will compete against Sri Lanka in the other quarter-final on September 29.

Group B consists of Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Oman, with the top two teams moving on to the quarter-finals. The qualifiers from this group will face Pakistan and Bangladesh in the knockout stage.

Aiming for a Second Gold

The Indian women's cricket team has already successfully defended their title at the Games, defeating Sri Lanka by 147 runs to secure the country's first gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The men's team is now eager to achieve similar success, bolstered by a squad rich in international experience.

Captain Iyer, who has previously led Kolkata Knight Riders to an IPL championship and guided Punjab Kings to the IPL final in 2025, is determined to add an Asian Games gold medal to his accolades as India embarks on their knockout journey against Afghanistan.