Asian Games 2026: India and Pakistan Among 7 Teams to Announce Cricket Squads

The excitement for the Asian Games 2026 is reaching a fever pitch as the cricketing world prepares for one of the most prestigious multi-sport events in the region. A total of 10 cricket teams are set to participate in the men's category, including heavyweights like India and Pakistan. As the tournament approaches, the participating nations have begun finalizing their rosters to compete for the ultimate glory. Out of the 10 teams scheduled to take part, 7 have already officially announced their squads, while the remaining 3 teams are expected to reveal their lineups shortly.

Tournament Schedule and Format

The Asian Games 2026 is scheduled to commence on September 19, 2026. Cricket will be a major attraction, featuring both men's and women's categories where teams will battle for the gold, silver, and bronze medals. In the men's category, the competition will feature 10 teams, including the host nation Japan. Notably, 5 of these teams are ICC Full Member nations, ensuring a high level of competition and intense matches on the field. The men's cricket matches are slated to take place from September 24 to October 3, 2026. As the dates draw closer, teams are intensifying their preparations to ensure they're in peak form for the event.

Detailed Squads Announced So Far

The following 7 teams have confirmed their squads for the upcoming Asian Games 2026:

Afghanistan has named a strong squad led by Darvish Rasooli. The team includes Abdullah Ahmadzai, Mohammad Akram, Ismat Alam, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Hassan Eisakhil, Mohammad Ishaq, Karim Janat, Faisal Khan, Nangyalai Kharoti, Imran Mir, Arab Gul Momand, Farmanullah Safi, Khalid Taniwal, and Najibullah Zadran.

Bangladesh will be led by the experienced Litton Das. The squad features Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, and Hasan Mahmud.

India has announced a formidable lineup with Shreyas Iyer as the captain. The squad includes Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and the young talent Vaibhav Suryavanshi.

Japan, the host nation, will be captained by Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming. The team consists of Charlie Hara-Hinge, Benjamin Ito-Davis, Alester Kadowaki-Fleming, Kohei Kubota, Jake Kusuda-Nairn, Wataru Miyauchi, Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Alex Shirai-Patmore, Shoma Sugaya-Slater, Declan Suzuki, Tsuyoshi Takada, Ibrahim Takahashi, Makoto Taniyama, and Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake.

Nepal's squad will be under the leadership of Dipendra Singh Airee. The team includes Rohit Kumar Paudel, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Aarif Sheikh, Aasif Sheikh, Kushal Bhurtel, Lalit Rajbanshi, Gulshan Kumar Jha, Nandan Yadav, Lokesh Bam, Sundeep Jora, Sher Malla, and Kushal Malla.

Oman has appointed Sufyan Mehmood as the captain. The squad features Muzaffar Shiralkar, Mohammed Ali Al Balushi, Zubair Al Balushi, Shuaib Al Balushi, Naved Al Balushi, Waseem Al Balushi, Ahmed Al Jadjali, Sameer Othman, Waheed Al Balushi, Faris Al Balushi, Mohammed Usman, Issa Rahim Al Balushi, Abdul Jalil, and Qais Al Balushi.

Pakistan will be led by Sahibzada Farhan, with Abdul Samad serving as the vice-captain. The roster includes Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufyan Moqim, and Usman Khan.

Teams Yet to Announce Squads

While 7 teams have already set their rosters, the cricketing community is still waiting for the official announcements from 3 other participating nations. The squads for Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka are yet to be revealed. These teams are expected to finalize their selections in the coming days as the countdown to the September 24 start date for men's cricket continues. With 5 ICC Full Member nations in the fray, the competition for the gold medal is expected to be fierce, and fans are eagerly anticipating the full lineup of stars who will grace the Asian Games 2026.