India’s women’s cricket team begins its Asian Games 2026 title defence against hosts Japan on Friday, September 18. Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the defending champions in the quarter-final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Aichi. The match is scheduled to start at 10:30 AM IST, with a place in the semi-finals at stake. India enter the tournament after winning the Women’s Asia Cup, while Japan will be looking to make the most of home conditions. India are also represented in teqball and men’s soft tennis on a busy day of Asian Games action.When Does India’s Campaign Begin?India’s main event on September 18 is the women’s cricket quarter-final against Japan. The Indian team is defending the gold medal won at the previous Asian Games and enters the knockout stage directly at the quarter-final level. The match will be played at Korogi Sports Park, which is hosting the women’s cricket competition. A win will send India into the semi-finals scheduled for September 20.Match: India Women vs Japan WomenStage: Women’s cricket quarter-finalDate: September 18, 2026Start time: 10:30 AM ISTVenue: Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, AichiIndia Begin Gold Medal DefenceIndia are the defending champions in women’s cricket at the Asian Games. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side won gold at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, where cricket was played in the T20 format. The 2026 competition is again being conducted as a T20 tournament, with the women’s event running from September 17 to September 22.The Indian squad includes experienced players such as Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh. The squad also features Pratika Rawal, Shreyanka Patil, Renuka Thakur and other players selected for the Asian Games campaign.Also Read: Dawson, Banton Star in Another Dominant England Win Against Sri LankaJapan Await India In QuarterfinalJapan will provide India’s first challenge in the knockout stage of the competition. The Japan Cricket Association lists the India-Japan quarter-final as the fourth women’s cricket quarter-final at the 2026 Asian Games, with the match taking place at Korogi Sports Park.The other quarter-finals have already shaped the semi-final picture. Bangladesh advanced after its match against China was abandoned, while Pakistan defeated Thailand by three wickets. Sri Lanka and Malaysia are scheduled to contest another quarter-final on September 18 before India face Japan.Key HighlightsIndia’s women’s cricket campaign begins on September 18.Harmanpreet Kaur leads the defending Asian Games champions.India face hosts Japan in the quarter-final.The match starts at 10:30 AM IST.The women’s cricket tournament runs until September 22.India also have athletes competing in teqball and men’s soft tennis on September 18.Busy Day For Indian ContingentSeptember 18 features several Indian athletes across different sports, with women’s cricket attracting the main attention. India’s men’s soft tennis team has three group matches scheduled against Laos, Chinese Taipei and Mongolia. Teqball player Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza is also scheduled for women’s singles and mixed-doubles action with Mohamed Anas Imran Beg.For cricket, India’s immediate target is a place in the semi-finals. The women’s semi-finals are scheduled for September 20, followed by the bronze-medal match and final on September 22. The India-Japan quarter-final therefore marks the opening step of India’s campaign to defend its Asian Games cricket title.Disclaimer: This article is provided for news and knowledge purposes only and is based on publicly available information verified from reported and official tournament sources.
