Cricket fans, rejoice! The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has confirmed that cricket will be part of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, to be held from September 19 to October 4.
The decision was made during the 41st AINAGOC Board meeting in Nagoya. The sport will be played in the T20 format, but the final venue in Aichi is yet to be announced. Interest in cricket is expected to be high, especially from South Asian countries.
REPORTS Cricket is likely to be retained for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, with OCA expected to approve it. #AsianGames #Cricket #Japan #Sportskeeda
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) April 30, 2025
This will be cricket’s fourth time featuring at Asian Games after Guangzhou (2010), Incheon (2014), and Hangzhou (2023). India men’s and women’s teams are the defending champions.
Inclusion of Cricket is seen as part of the build-up for the Olympic comeback of the sport in 2028, which would be the first Olympic exposure since 1900.
While most athletes will be able to avail of cruising village floating accommodation in Nagoya Port, cricketers would be accommodated in hotels, along with football and badminton players.
As one of the 41 events at this ceremony, cricket joins an expected attendance of more than 15,000 athletes, all representing 45 different nations.
