Japan will face Afghanistan in the opening match of the men’s cricket tournament at the Asian Games 2026 on Thursday, Sept. 24. The Group A clash will be played at Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, with Japan aiming to build on its narrow defeat against India in the tournament’s opening cricket match.
Japan vs Afghanistan Asian Games 2026: Date And Time
The Japan vs Afghanistan Asian Games 2026 match will be played on Sept. 24 from 5:30 a.m. IST onwards.
Japan vs Afghanistan Asian Games 2026: Venue
Japan vs Afghanistan Asian Games 2026 match will be played at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, Aichi.
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Japan vs Afghanistan Asian Games 2026: Live Telecast
The Japan vs Afghanistan match will be available on Sony Sports Network in India.
Japan vs Afghanistan Asian Games 2026: Live Streaming
Fans in India can watch the Japan vs Afghanistan Asian Games 2026 match live on the SonyLIV app and website.
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Japan vs Afghanistan Asian Games 2026: Likely Playing XIs
Japan: Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake, Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (c), Benjamin Ito-Davis, Wataru Miyauchi, Alexander Shirai-Patmore (wk), Charlie Hara-Hinze, Ibrahim Takahashi, Declan Suzuki-McComb, Makoto Taniyama, Shoma Sugaya-Slater
Afghanistan: Darwish Rasooli (c), Mohammad Akram, Hassan Eisakhil, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Ismat Alam, Nangyal Kharoti, Arab Gul Momand, Farmanullah Safi, Abdullah Ahmadzai
Japan vs Afghanistan Preview
Japan head into the Asian Games opener with renewed confidence after taking India to the wire in a rain-affected five-over match in Sano. Chasing 33, Japan fell just two runs short against India, a result that underlined their ability to compete against top-level opposition.
Captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming reflected on the disappointment of coming so close to a landmark result, while making clear that the team has already shifted its attention to the quick turnaround and the Afghanistan challenge.
With just two teams advancing from Group A, every result will carry significant weight for Japan. Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal make up the group, with the leading pair earning places in the quarter-finals alongside seeded sides India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. A win would put Japan in a strong position in the race for the two quarter-final spots from Group A.
Afghanistan will look to make a strong start in the tournament after recently losing a T20I series in India. Their squad brings considerable experience in the shortest format, with a potent combination of quality spin bowlers and aggressive batters at the top of the order. The opening fixture gives the Afghans an opportunity to build early momentum in the group.
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Japan vs Afghanistan Asian Games 2026: Squads
Japan: Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (c), Charlie Hara-Hinze, Benjamin Ito-Davis, Alester Kadowaki-Fleming, Kohei Kubota, Jake Kusuda-Nairn, Wataru Miyauchi, Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Alexander Shirai-Patmore, Shoma Sugaya-Slater, Declan Suzuki-McComb, Tsuyoshi Takada, Ibrahim Takahashi, Makoto Taniyama, Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake
Afghanistan: Darwish Rasooli (c), Abdullah Ahmadzai, Mohammad Akram, Ismat Alam, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Hassan Eisakhil, Mohammad Ishaq, Karim Janat, Faisal Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Imran Mir, Arab Gul Momand, Farmanullah Safi, Khalid Taniwal, Najibullah Zadran
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