In the Asian Games, men’s cricket is a fairly new addition. Let’s look closely at the tournament’s history, the inauguration of cricket, participating and winning teams and future seasons.
Asian Games, also known as Asiad is a continental multi-sport event organised for athletes from all over Asia.
This tournament is organised once every four years by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). A total of 46 Asian countries have participated in the tournament in different games.
As of 2024, 19 tournament seasons have been held in various Asian countries. However, cricket has featured in only three of these in the years 2010, 2014 and 2023.
History and Origin
Right after the end of the Second World War, independent India’s first Prime Minister, Pdt. Jawaharlal Nehru advocated for the strengthening of bonds between Asian countries so that peace prevails in the continent.
As a result of his efforts, the first Asian games were hosted by India in New Delhi, in 1950.
In its inaugural season, the Asian Games men’s cricket was played in the T20 format.
China hosted the games. The organizers built the Guanggong International Cricket Stadium specifically for the tournament, making it the venue for all matches. The men’s event featured nine teams.
Is the Asian Games Men’s Cricket under ICC?
Cricket enjoys immense popularity in Asia. The continent boasts some of the world’s finest cricket teams, namely India and Pakistan who have time and again brought glory to the continent in international cricket.
As a result of their prowess, cricket made its debut as a medal event in Asiad in 2010.
Subsequently, in 2023, the International Cricket Council (ICC), cricket’s premiere governing body, granted international status to men’s and women’s cricket in the Asian Games.
Participating teams and Winners
Let’s look at the list of participating teams and winners in all three seasons of the Asian Games Men’s Cricket tournament:
Current Teams in Asian Games: Men’s Cricket
- India Squad
- Bangladesh Squad
- Hong Kong Squad
- Pakistan Squad
- Afghanistan Squad
- Cambodia Squad
- Nepal Squad
- Sri Lanka Squad
- Japan Squad
- Singapore Squad
- Thailand Squad
- Malaysia Squad
- Mongolia Squad
Winners of Asian Games: Men’s Cricket
| Year | Venue | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 2010 | Guangzhou, China | Bangladesh | Afghanistan | Pakistan |
| 2014 | Incheon, South Korea | Sri Lanka | Afghanistan | Bangladesh |
| 2013 | Hangzhou, China | India | Afghanistan | Bangladesh |
Men’s Cricket at Asian Games 2010
The men’s cricket tournament at Asian Games 2010 featured nine teams, including three Test-playing nations, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
The matches were played in T20 format.
Bangladesh won the tournament while Afghanistan and Pakistan secured second and third positions respectively. This was Bangladesh’s first gold at the Asian Games.
India abstained from participating due to international commitments. This was a huge advantage for other participating teams, considering India’s unbeatable cricketing dominance in Asia and the world.
Men’s Cricket at Asian Games 2014
The men’s cricket tournament at Asian Games 2010 featured ten teams. It was hosted by South Korea at the Yeonhui Cricket Stadium.
The matches were played in the T20 format and India continued to stay out.
The Sri Lanka squad beat Afghanistan in the finals and won the tournament.
Men’s Cricket at Asian Games 2023
The men’s cricket tournament at the Asian Games 2023 featured 14 teams.
After ICC accorded international status to the tournament, all matches were played in the T20 international format.
This time BCCI sent a revised Indian cricket team to play in the tournament.
After the rain played spoilsport, Team India was declared the winning team on account of their global T20 ranking.
Overall Performance review
Firstly, the Afghanistan squad proved to be consistent in their performance across the three tournaments by securing the silver medal thrice.
Secondly, the Bangladesh squad also showcased phenomenal gameplay by winning the gold medal in the inaugural season of the cricket tournament and the bronze medal in the second and third years.
Thirdly, the Sri Lanka squad showcased potential when they won the tournament in 2014.
Lastly, while India was absent in the first two seasons, it came through in the 2023 season of the tournaments.
Is cricket a part of the 2026 Asian Games?
Asian Games 2026 is destined to be co-hosted by the Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya in Japan from 19 September to 4 October 2026.
This will be the third time Japan will host the Asian Games. Furthermore, this will be the 20th season of the tournament.
The Olympic Council of Asia is keen on having cricket at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
Although, Japan’s lack of adequate infrastructure in the form of cricket stadiums is a point of contention.
While there are cricket stadiums in other cities, Nagoya, the capital city of Aichi Prefecture lacks these amenities.
However, the OCA is exploring the idea of converting a baseball stadium in Nagoya for this purpose.
“We are still working on the sports programme for the 2026 Games but yes, we would want cricket to be part of it,” said Randhir Singh, acting president of the OCA.
Officials at the Japan Cricket Association are also eager to have cricket in the 2026 Asian Games. They believe that it will boost the game’s popularity in the region.
The decisions are yet to be made. Stay hooked to find out!
Overview
The game of cricket has a huge fan following in international and domestic tournaments like ODIs, T20Is and IPL. The next target is the Asian Games.
India won its first T20 International men’s cricket tournament at this continental event and will continue to showcase its prowess and talent.
Additionally, up-and-coming cricketing countries like Afghanistan and Bangladesh are key players in Asian cricket. The world awaits to see what they bring to the table.
While the Asian Games is a competitive tournament, let us not forget the primary reason behind its origin.
As the biggest continent in the world, we could benefit from friendly and peaceful inter-continental relationships. Asian Games is a great opportunity for that.
Let’s hope to see cricket and some record-breaking performances in the twentieth season of the Asian Games.
That was everything about Asian Games men’s cricket! The next season in Japan will hopefully bring more dramatic wins!
