Men’s Asian Games 2026 Match Prediction and Tips
The men's cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games will take place in Japan from September 24 to October 3, with 10 teams competing for the gold medal in the T20 format. The cricket tournament is being staged at Korogi Athletic Park in Nisshin City, Aichi Prefecture.
India enter the competition as the defending men's Asian Games champions after winning gold at the 2022 Hangzhou Games. They have named a strong squad led by Shreyas Iyer, with Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar among the players selected.
Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are the other three seeded teams and will also enter the tournament directly at the quarter-final stage. Afghanistan, Nepal, Japan, Hong Kong China, Malaysia and Oman will contest the preliminary round for the remaining four quarter-final places.
Today’s Men's Asian Games Match Prediction
No matches from Asian Games are being played today. If you want to see the history of our predictions visit our Predictions & Tips archives.
Tomorrow’s Men's Asian Games Match Prediction
No matches from Asian Games are being played tomorrow. If you want to see the history of our predictions visit our Predictions & Tips archives.
Upcoming Men's Asian Games Match Prediction
No matches are scheduled to be played for Asian Games. If you want to see the history of our predictions visit our Predictions & Tips archives.
Today Match Prediction Men's Asian Games
The men's cricket competition begins on September 24 with two preliminary-round matches.
Afghanistan face hosts Japan in the opening Group A fixture, while Hong Kong China take on Malaysia in Group B. The first two matches will be played at Korogi Athletic Park.
The men's competition has a slightly different format from the women's event. Six teams will play the preliminary round in two groups of three, with the top two teams in each group progressing to the quarter-finals. The four seeded nations will then join the competition at the knockout stage.
With several established international players included in the squads, the Asian Games men's cricket tournament promises to be a highly competitive T20 competition. Our Men's Asian Games cricket predictions will cover the tournament from the opening preliminary-round match through to the gold-medal match.
OCB Series Prediction
India to win the men's cricket gold medal.
Once you’ve finalised your selections, head over to our list of top Cricket Betting Sites and choose from the best available odds.
About Men's Asian Games
Cricket returns to the Asian Games for the fourth time at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Games.
The sport made its Asian Games debut at Guangzhou in 2010 and has subsequently featured at Incheon in 2014 and Hangzhou in 2022. Cricket was not played at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.
The 2026 men's competition will be played entirely in the T20 format, with 10 nations taking part.
The participating teams are:
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Hong Kong China
- India
- Japan
- Malaysia
- Nepal
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
Five Full Member nations — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan — are joined by five Associate nations: Nepal, Hong Kong China, Malaysia, Oman and hosts Japan.
India won the men's gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games, with Afghanistan taking bronze and Bangladesh finishing on the podium as well. India will therefore attempt to defend their title in Japan.
The tournament is also being held at a particularly important time for international cricket, with T20 cricket now firmly established as one of the major formats of the sport.
2026 Men's Asian Games Star Players
India
Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer will captain India in Japan.
His experience at international and franchise level makes him an important part of India's middle order, while his leadership will be particularly important in a tournament where India are attempting to defend their Asian Games title.
Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah is arguably the most experienced international bowler in India's squad.
His ability to bowl with the new ball and at the death gives India a major weapon in T20 cricket. His inclusion also underlines the strength of the squad selected for the competition.
Pakistan
Sahibzada Farhan
Sahibzada Farhan will captain Pakistan at the Asian Games.
The right-handed batter has been entrusted with leading a squad containing several players who have either already represented Pakistan or are pushing for greater international involvement.
Saim Ayub
Saim Ayub is one of Pakistan's most naturally aggressive T20 batters.
His ability to score quickly at the top of the order makes him an important player in Pakistan's medal campaign.
Sri Lanka
Sahan Arachchige
Sahan Arachchige will lead Sri Lanka during the tournament.
The all-rounder gives the side flexibility and will be responsible for guiding Sri Lanka through a difficult knockout route beginning in the quarter-finals.
Niroshan Dickwella
Niroshan Dickwella brings significant international experience to the Sri Lankan squad and is listed as the wicketkeeper.
His experience in T20 cricket should be valuable during the knockout stages.
Bangladesh
Litton Das
Litton Das will captain Bangladesh.
The experienced wicketkeeper-batter gives Bangladesh an established presence at the top of the order and will be central to their campaign.
Najmul Hossain Shanto
Najmul Hossain Shanto adds further international experience to Bangladesh's batting group.
His ability to anchor an innings while accelerating when required could be important in the T20 format.
Afghanistan
Darwish Rasooli
Darwish Rasooli will captain Afghanistan in Japan.
Afghanistan are the only seeded Full Member nation required to play in the preliminary round, where they have been placed in Group A alongside Japan and Nepal.
Karim Janat
Karim Janat brings all-round ability and considerable T20 experience to the Afghanistan squad.
His ability to contribute with both bat and ball gives Afghanistan useful flexibility.
What Do OCBsports Men's Asian Games Match Predictions Include?
Every match preview includes:
- Match winner predictions.
- Top batter and top bowler tips.
- Player performance markets.
- Pitch reports.
- Weather forecasts.
- Head-to-head statistics.
- Team news and injury updates.
- Confirmed playing XI analysis.
- Best betting value before the toss.
- Updated predictions after team announcements.
Explore all match-specific insights in Today’s Match Prediction section.
What Makes OCBsports Men's Asian Games Predictions Special?
The Asian Games men's cricket tournament presents a different analytical challenge from a conventional bilateral series.
Four teams — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — enter directly at the quarter-final stage, while six other teams must negotiate the preliminary round.
That means the early matches have enormous importance for Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal, Hong Kong China, Malaysia and Oman.
The tournament is also being played entirely in T20 cricket, where a single outstanding spell or batting performance can dramatically change a match.
Venue conditions will be another important factor. All matches will be played at Korogi Athletic Park, a new cricket facility in Nisshin City featuring a natural-grass pitch designed for international competition.
Our match predictions will therefore consider the conditions at the venue alongside player quality, recent form and confirmed selections.
How We Produce Men's Asian Games Betting Tips
Our prediction process combines cricket knowledge with statistical research.
Before every match we analyse:
- Recent ODI form.
- Venue records.
- Batting and bowling matchups.
- Home and away performances.
- Team selection trends.
- Weather forecasts.
- Toss impact.
- Individual player statistics.
- Historical head-to-head records.
Once the playing XIs are confirmed, our experts review every prediction again to ensure it reflects the latest team news before the first ball is bowled.
How To Use Our Match Predictions
When applying our predictions in your betting strategy follow these steps:
- Check the specific pitch report before locking in any main match bets.
- Look at team news and final XIs before the toss.
- Use player-specific tips, including top-batter and top-bowler markets, when they offer value.
- Consider live or in-play opportunities if the surface behaves differently from expectations.
- Manage your bankroll and avoid overcommitting to one market.
- Use our free updates for each match so you can adjust as the series unfolds.
- For deeper guidance, check our full Cricket Betting Guides.
Men's Asian Games Betting Tips – Updated Daily and for FREE During the Season!
Throughout the series OCBsports will provide:
- Daily match predictions
- Betting tips
- Fantasy cricket advice
- Team news
- Injury updates
- Player prop recommendations
- Pitch reports
- Live betting insights
Bookmark this page for the latest predictions before every match.e series as we update every prediction based on the latest squad news, playing XIs and conditions.
Men's Asian Games Match Prediction FAQs
The men's cricket tournament is scheduled from September 24 to October 3, 2026. The gold-medal match will be played on October 3.
Ten teams will compete: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Hong Kong China, Malaysia, Oman and Japan.
The competition is played in the T20 format. Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal form Group A, while Hong Kong China, Malaysia and Oman are in Group B. The top two teams from each group qualify for the quarter-finals, where India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh enter the competition.
India enter the tournament as defending champions and have selected a strong squad containing players such as Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are also seeded directly into the quarter-finals.
OCBsports' pre-tournament prediction is India to win the gold medal.
