Cricket is all set to be included in the 2026 Asian Games, which will be hosted by Japan from September 19 to October 4 next year. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Aichi-Nagoya Games Organising Committee (AINAGOC) are expected to formally announce the inclusion during their meetings scheduled between April 30 and May 2.
A Japan Cricket Association (JCA) official told Cricbuzz, “The OCA Board will still need to approve it. Although we think that is just a formality. But until they do, it is not 100 percent.”
Cricket, alongside Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), was officially approved during the 41st meeting of AINAGOC’s Board of Directors on April 28 at Nagoya City Hall. If confirmed, cricket will be one of the 41 sports featured at the 20th Asian Games, with participation from 15,000 athletes and officials representing the OCA’s 45 National Olympic Committees.
The sport will continue in the T20 format, as used in the previous edition in Hangzhou, China. The number of participating teams is expected to be finalized during the current week’s sessions. In 2022, the Games witnessed 14 men’s teams and nine women’s teams competing in cricket.
The Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams are the defending champions, having secured gold medals at the 2022 Asian Games, which were held in 2023 after a pandemic-induced delay.
The venue for cricket at the 2026 Games remains undecided, though it is confirmed to be in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture. Discussions around whether to use a modular stadium—similar to what the ICC used for the 2024 T20 World Cup in New York—are ongoing.
“The interest in cricket at the Games will be significant, especially considering the sport’s massive popularity in South Asia,” the OCA stated. “Additionally, cricket’s return to the Olympic stage in the T20 format at the 2028 Los Angeles Games further increases the sport’s relevance.”
Cricket has not featured in the Olympics since 1900, when Great Britain defeated France in the only match of the tournament held in Paris. Its inclusion in the Asian Games continues to mark a resurgence for the sport on global multi-sport platforms.
