India vs Pakistan last played in 2026 T20 World Cup | PC- AFP
The Asian Games 2026 is just around the corner, as the cricket competitions will run between September 17 and October 3 in Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya, Japan.
Although the highlight of the cricket competitions is teams like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan participating, there won't be an official INDO-PAK meeting in the initial stages of either the women's or men's competitions.
Why there would no IND vs PAK in Asian Games group stage?
According to a report by Cricbuzz, India and Pakistan won't be meeting each other, in either the men's or women's competition, in the group stage of the Asian Games 2026.
The Men in Blue and the Men in Green are the top-seeded line-ups in the competition. Thus, the two will directly play Quarterfinal clashes. Thus, if the arch-rivals need to face each other in the tournament, it won't be possible before a medal clash, either the bronze medal game or the final.
"India men's team, along with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, has been seeded directly into the quarterfinals, while the remaining six sides, including Afghanistan, will have to go through the group stage," the report stated.
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"This means the traditional rivals can clash only in the gold-medal match or the third-place play-off for the bronze medal," it added.
Just like in the men's competition, India Women and Pakistan Women will directly qualify for the quarters, but the Women in Blue are among the top two seeded teams as they fall behind Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the pecking order.
However, an India vs Pakistan match in the women's competition would also be either a bronze medal game or the final.
India stack match-winners, Pakistan opt for youths in Asian Games 2026 squad
The BCCI has already announced the squads for both the men's and women's competitions in the Asian Games, as the national selectors have picked mighty strong teams to win the gold medal.
Shreyas Iyer will lead the Men in Blue, which comprises all the superstars like Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the line-up. Meanwhile, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side is balanced like ever, featuring vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh.
The PCB, on the contrary, has selected a relatively inexperienced squad for the Asian Games 2026, with Sahibzada Farhan at the helm. Meanwhile, the Pakistan board has yet to announce the Pakistan squad for the women's competition.
Can India seal another double gold after Hangzhou success?
The team in blue lifted gold medals in both men's and women's competitions in the previous edition of the Asian Games.
The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Men in Blue won the gold medal against Afghanistan in Hangzhou.
Meanwhile, under Harmanpreet Kaur, the Women in Blue overpowered Sri Lanka to win the previous Asian Games final.
Notably, both Pakistan sides lost their respective third-place clashes in the 2023 Asian Games.
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