Asian Games 2026: Men's Cricket Match Timing Changes
Asian Games men’s cricket has been nudged earlier on the clock, but not everyone seems to have caught up with the change.
Organisers have quietly advanced the start time of some men’s knockout matches by 30 minutes, moving the afternoon fixtures from 2 pm to 1.30 pm local time. The women’s schedule, though, stays exactly as it was.
For India’s men, handed a direct passage into the quarter-finals of the Aichi-Nagoya Games 2026, that tweak is significant. Their first outing is now listed for a 1.30 pm start in Japan – 10 am IST, with Japan 3 hours and 30 minutes ahead. The morning matches remain untouched, locked in at 9 am local time, or 5.30 am IST.
The shift does not stop at the last eight.
The second semi-final and the gold-medal match are also set for 1.30 pm Japan Time, aligning all of India’s potential high-stakes games with the earlier slot. Yet the message has not fully filtered through. Indian Olympic Association officials say they have not been informed of any adjustment, even as the revised timings sit clearly on the official website.
The change is targeted, not sweeping. It covers:
- The second quarter-final on September 28, where India are scheduled to play.
- The second semi-final on October 1, which India are favoured to reach.
- The gold-medal clash on October 3.
The other side of the draw stays on the original rhythm. The first quarter-final, involving Pakistan, the first semi-final and the bronze-medal play-off will all begin at 9 am local time.
Preliminary-round fixtures are untouched as well. Games featuring Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal, Hong Kong (China), Malaysia and Oman will continue under the original timings. The women’s event, which starts straight from the quarter-finals, also remains on its initial schedule, with matches at 9 am and 2 pm local time.
The reasoning is straightforward, even if the communication has not been. It gets dark early in Japan, and with no floodlights at the venue, organisers have decided to push key men’s matches forward. Men’s games are expected to run longer, so the earlier start is a safeguard against light and time running out together.
Outside the official Games schedule, India’s T20I against Japan at Sano International Stadium on September 22 offers a dress rehearsal of sorts. That match will begin at 1 pm JST, 9.30 am IST – another reminder that in this tournament, the clock could be as important as the conditions.
