Asian Games 2026: India Eye Cricket, Hockey Final Berths

India enters another important day at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday, October 1, with the men’s cricket and hockey teams involved in semifinal clashes.

The men’s cricket team, led by Shreyas Iyer, will meet Sri Lanka in the second semifinal at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin. The match is scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM IST. India reached the last four after its quarter-final against Afghanistan was abandoned because of persistent rain. As the higher-seeded side, India advanced to the semifinal without a completed quarter-final. Sri Lanka also progressed after its quarter-final against Nepal was washed out.

India are the defending Asian Games men’s cricket champions, having won gold at the previous edition in Hangzhou. The semifinal therefore gives Iyer’s side a chance to move one step closer to another gold-medal match.

The second major team event comes in men’s hockey, where India will face Pakistan in the semifinal at 1:00 PM IST at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium. Hockey India’s official schedule confirms the fixture and timing.

India have remained unbeaten in the hockey tournament, winning all five of their Pool A matches. Their campaign included victories over Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Japan and Bangladesh. The defending champions finished the pool stage with a 10-0 win over Bangladesh, while captain Harmanpreet Singh scored a hat-trick in that match.

Pakistan finished second in Pool B after losing 5-4 to Malaysia, setting up the semifinal against India. Pakistan's Sufiyan Khan has been among the tournament's leading scorers, while Harmanpreet Singh remains one of India's key threats from penalty corners.

India's women's hockey team has already secured a place in the gold-medal match after defeating South Korea 2-0 in the semifinal on September 30. India will face China in the women's final on October 2.

Key India fixtures on October 1

• 10:00 AM IST — Men's cricket semifinal: India vs Sri Lanka
• 1:00 PM IST — Men's hockey semifinal: India vs Pakistan
• India also has athletes competing in archery, shooting, wrestling, squash, cycling, rugby and other events throughout the day.

The cricket and hockey semifinals are the headline team events for India on October 1, with both sides seeking a place in their respective gold-medal matches.