Asian Games 2026: Why India’s Cricket Knockout Match Will Start 30 Minutes Earlier

The start times of select men’s cricket knockout matches at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya have been advanced by 30 minutes, with India’s quarter-final now scheduled to begin at 10 am IST.

The match will start at 1.30 pm local time in Japan instead of the originally announced 2 pm. There is no change to the timings of the women’s matches.

India’s quarter-final moved to 10 am IST

India have received a direct entry into the quarter-finals of the men’s cricket competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. Their first match, scheduled for Sept 28, will begin at 1.30 pm Japan time, which is 10 am IST. The morning matches will continue to start at 9 am local time, or 5.30 am IST.

The timing adjustment also applies to the second semi-final on Oct 1 and the gold-medal match on Oct 3. Both games will now start at 1.30 pm local time, while the first quarter-final, first semi-final and bronze-medal match will retain their 9 am starts. India are likely to feature in the second semi-final if they progress from the quarter-finals.

Why were the timings changed?

The revised schedule has been published on the official Asian Games website, although the change has not yet been communicated to all stakeholders. Indian Olympic Association officials said they were not aware of the adjustment when contacted.

Sources said the matches were brought forward because it gets dark early in Japan and the venue does not have floodlights, while men’s games are also expected to last longer.