Industry Odisha Bureau, Sep 26: India’s men’s cricket team open their Asian Games gold-medal defence against Afghanistan. Shreyas Iyer leads the side in Monday’s quarter-final. There is no group stage to ease them in.
India’s men’s cricket team will not ease into the Asian Games 2026. Their gold-medal defence begins directly in the quarter-finals. Afghanistan stand between them and a place in the last four. The match starts at 10:30 am IST on Monday, September 28. The squad arrived in Nagoya on Saturday. From the first ball, a single defeat would end their campaign.
Iyer Leads an Experienced Group
Shreyas Iyer captains the side, with Tilak Varma as vice-captain. Iyer brings notable leadership experience from the Indian Premier League. He has led Kolkata Knight Riders to an IPL title. He also captained Punjab Kings to the IPL final in 2025. Former India cricketer VVS Laxman is head coach for the Games.
The India squad features several established international players. Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma are among them. Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Washington Sundar also feature. Samson and Ishan Kishan are the two named wicketkeepers. Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Varun Chakaravarthy add further depth. Ravi Bishnoi, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yash Thakur complete the 15-member group.
Afghanistan Again on India’s Gold Path
The quarter-final carries echoes of Hangzhou in 2023. India and Afghanistan met in that Asian Games final. Rain washed the match out without a result. India took gold as the higher-seeded team. Ruturaj Gaikwad captained India on that occasion. Monday brings the two teams together again on the Asian Games stage.
Knockout Field Takes Shape
Afghanistan reached the last eight from Group A. Nepal advanced too after their match against Japan was abandoned due to rain. Nepal finished top of the group, while Japan were eliminated. Nepal play Sri Lanka in their quarter-final on September 29. Group B features Malaysia, Hong Kong and Oman. Its top two sides will meet Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Women Set the Standard
India’s women’s cricket team have already completed their own title defence. Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, they beat Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final. That result delivered India’s first gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. It sets a benchmark, but guarantees nothing for the men.
No Group-Stage Cushion
India’s men will have no group matches to find their rhythm. Their Asian Games campaign could start and end on the same day. The squad carries considerable international experience into Nagoya. Yet experience alone will not secure progress. To keep their gold-medal defence alive, India must first get past Afghanistan.
