India, Pakistan's Opponents Revealed As Asian Games 2026 Quarterfinals Schedule Finalised

Shreyas Iyer and Sahibzada Farhan - (Source: X/AFP)

On Saturday, September 26, the group stage round of the Men’s Asian Games concluded with rain spoiling the Malaysia vs Oman match. Due to heavy downpour and a wet outfield, both teams shared a point.

The focus will now shift to the quarter-final round, where the qualified teams will meet the heavyweights - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh- who earned a direct entry to the quarter-final.

The fans are curious about India’s opponent, especially after the scare against Japan. The Shreyas Iyer-led side is facing the heat because the women’s side successfully defended their gold medal. 

Similarly, Pakistan also have a lot of eyeballs on them, following a shambolic performance across formats recently. Therefore, this article will shed light on India, Pakistan’s opponents and focus on their Asian Games 2026 Quarterfinals Schedule.

India’s Opponents For Quarter-final and their path to the title

The Shreyas Iyer-led side will kickstart their Asian Games 2026 campaign on September 28 against Afghanistan. The Darwish Rasooli-led side named an inexperienced squad for the ongoing Games and finished second in their group.

Afghanistan were placed in Group A alongside Nepal and Japan. The Afghans won their opening match against Japan, but suffered a shocking defeat against Nepal in their 2nd and final group-stage match.

Also Read: Nepal Almost Eliminate Reigning Silver Medalist Afghanistan In Asian Games

Since Afghanistan ended up as the runners-up, they will meet India on September 28 at 10:00 am IST. For India, the quarter-finals will be their first match of the edition. If the Men in Blue beat Afghanistan, they will meet the winner of the Sri Lanka vs Nepal match, which will take place on September 29.

Pakistan’s Opponents for the quarter-final and their path to the title

Pakistan named a second-string side for Asian Games 2026. Sahibzada Farhan will lead the side in the absence of star players like Babar Azam and Salman Ali Agha. They will start their Asian Games campaign on September 28 against Hong Kong, who finished 2nd in Group B.

Pakistan’s opponents were revealed on Saturday because the last group-stage match between Oman and Malaysia was abandoned due to rain. Since both teams shared a point, it ended Oman’s dream of advancing to the knockouts.

For Hong Kong, they suffered an eight-wicket defeat in their opening match, but beat Oman by 41 runs to book their place in the next round. The Sabibzada Farhan-led side will face Hong Kong on September 28 at 5:30 am IST. If they beat Hong Kong, the Men in Green will face either Bangladesh or Malaysia.

Will India-Pakistan Meet At Asian Games 2026?

The fans are curious about an Indo-Pak meet at the Asian Games in Japan. Since both teams are in opposite side of the bracket, they can’t lock horns against each other till the final.

If both India and Pakistan win their quarter-final and semi-final matches, then the Asian Games final will be between the two arch-rivals. 

Asian Games 2026 Quaterfinal Full Schedule

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