Nepal, Oman, Hong Kong and Malaysia qualify for Asian Games Men's cricket event 2026

The field for the 2026 Asian Games Men’s Cricket Tournament has been locked in. Nepal, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Oman have secured their berths and will join India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and hosts Japan in the 10‑team competition, scheduled to be played in Japan in September-October.

Nepal dominate Group A

Placed in Group A of the ongoing Asian Games Men's Qualifiers, alongside Malaysia and China (after Qatar’s withdrawal), Nepal produced emphatic performances:

• Against China, they piled up 313/2 in 20 overs before dismissing their opponents for just 92, winning by 221 runs.

• In their second fixture, Nepal posted 275/7 and restricted Malaysia to 108/9, sealing a 167‑run victory.

Nepal topped Group A with four points and a staggering net run rate of 9.700, underlining their dominance.

Malaysia clinch second spot

Malaysia joined Nepal in the qualification after defeating China in a low‑scoring contest. They chased down their target of 85 with ease, winning by nine wickets to secure their place.

Hong Kong and Oman Advance from Group B

In Group B, Hong Kong and Oman overcame Bahrain and Singapore in their respective encounters to finish in the top two and book their tickets to Japan.

The semifinals of the Asian Games Men's Qualifier 2026 will be played on June 7. The 3rd place play-off will be held on June 8, and the summit clash of the competition will also be held on the same day.

India set to defend gold

India will enter the tournament as defending champions. At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, India were awarded the gold medal after the final against Afghanistan was washed out, with India declared winners by virtue of being the higher‑seeded team.

Now, the challenge for India will be to defend their crown on Japanese soil and extend their dominance in continental cricket.