Cricket will not be included in the 2026 Asian Games due to logistical challenges, as per reports. Despite the sport’s growing popularity in the region, organizing cricket events alongside other sports proved difficult. The decision follows discussions on scheduling, infrastructure, and coordination, impacting the inclusion of cricket in the multi-sport event.
Cricket was part of the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.
Cricket may not be part of the 2026 Asian Games, set to take place in Nagoya, Japan, due to logistical challenges. Although cricket made a successful return to the Asian Games in 2023 in Hangzhou, China, where India claimed gold in both men’s and women’s events, its inclusion in the 2026 edition remains uncertain.
Cricket, widely regarded as the world’s second-most popular sport, has traditionally been limited to British Commonwealth countries and has seldom appeared in multi-sport events. However, the sport’s global outlook has shifted over the last decade, with a growing push to extend its reach beyond traditional boundaries. Cricket featured in the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014, and again in 2023, with 15 men’s and nine women’s teams competing.
India, a financial powerhouse in cricket, missed the 2010 and 2014 editions but returned in 2023 to dominate, winning double gold in Hangzhou. The victory, achieved with a second-string men’s squad, highlighted India’s commitment to multi-sport events and its depth in the sport.
Nagoya, Japan unable to host cricket event in 2026 Asian Games due to logistical issues
Cricket, which made its return to the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China last year, will be excluded from the 2026 edition in Nagoya, Japan. This decision poses a setback for the sport’s development in a country passionate about baseball.
Despite the efforts of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Japanese organizing committee to include cricket, logistical challenges are proving to be a significant barrier. OCA Deputy Director General, Vinod Kumar Tiwari, recently expressed optimism about cricket’s potential inclusion in 2026. However, reports indicate that a baseball stadium in Nagoya is being considered for conversion, raising concerns that cricket could ultimately be left out.
Discussions are ongoing between the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), led by influential Indian cricket chief Jay Shah (soon to transition to the ICC), and the relevant authorities. The final decision will be made next year.
The 2026 Asian Games, which will feature more sports and athlete quotas than the Olympics, will take place just two years before cricket’s return to the Olympics at the Los Angeles Games, ending a 128-year absence from the event.