New Delhi, September 18: India will kick off its Asian Games 2026 campaign in Aichi-Nagoya on Friday, with the women's cricket team beginning its title defence against hosts Japan in the quarter-finals.
Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, the Indian women's side will take on Japan at the Korogi Athletic Park, with the match scheduled to begin at 10:30 AM IST. It will be the first-ever international meeting between the women's cricket teams of India and Japan.
India enter the tournament as the top-ranked side among the eight participating teams and will be high on confidence after securing a record eighth Women's Asia Cup title last week.
Cricket will not be the only sport featuring Indian athletes on Friday. India will also compete in soft tennis and teqball,
with both disciplines beginning their campaigns ahead of Saturday's official opening ceremony.
In men's soft tennis, Jay Meena, Aniket Patel, Yogesh Chaudhary, Aryan Thakur and Om Yadav will open their Group C campaign. The Indian team is scheduled to play two further group matches later in the day, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake depending on their results.
Teqball will also see Indian representation, with Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza set to begin her women's singles campaign. Dsouza will subsequently team up with Mohamed Anas Imran Beg in the mixed doubles event.
The Indian mixed doubles pair are scheduled to play three matches on Friday, followed by another fixture at 1:00 PM. The quarter-finals and repechage rounds are also slated for the same day, with India's progress depending on their results in the earlier stages.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will officially open on September 19 and continue through October 4, bringing together athletes from across Asia for the continental sporting showcase.
Asian Games September 18 Schedule
| Sport | Event | Match/Round | Indian Athlete(s)/Team | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soft Tennis | Men's Team | Preliminary Group C - Match 1 | Jay Meena, Aniket Patel, Yogesh Chaudhary, Aryan Thakur, Om Yadav | 5:30 AM |
| Soft Tennis | Men's Team | Preliminary Group C - Match 2 | India | 7:30 AM |
| Soft Tennis | Men's Team | Preliminary Group C - Match 3 | India | 9:30 AM |
| Soft Tennis | Men's Team | Quarter-finals* | India | 11:30 AM |
| Teqball | Women's Singles | Match 2 | Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza | 6:00 AM |
| Teqball | Women's Singles | Match 3 | Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza | 6:30 AM |
| Teqball | Mixed Doubles | Match 2 | Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza / Mohamed Anas Imran Beg | 9:30 AM |
| Teqball | Mixed Doubles | Match 5 | Dsouza / Beg | 11:00 AM |
| Teqball | Mixed Doubles | Match 7 | Dsouza / Beg | 12:30 PM |
| Teqball | Mixed Doubles | Match 9 | Dsouza / Beg | 1:00 PM |
| Teqball | Mixed Doubles | Quarter-finals* | Dsouza / Beg | 3:00 PM |
| Teqball | Mixed Doubles | Repechage* | Dsouza / Beg | 4:00 PM |
| Cricket | Women's | Quarter-finals | India vs Japan | 10:30 AM |
* Subject to qualification.
