India will have another busy day at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Friday, September 18.The Indian women’s cricket team will be the main attraction as the defending champions begin their title defence against Japan in the quarter-finals. The match is scheduled for 10:30 AM IST.India will also be in action in Teqball and Soft Tennis, with several events starting early in the morning.
Women’s cricket team begins title defence
Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the Indian women’s cricket team, with Smriti Mandhana serving as her deputy.India enter the knockout stage with a strong squad. Mandhana recently became the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket, going past former India captain Mithali Raj. She also has the most international centuries among women.Deepti Sharma, the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20Is, will be one of India’s key players with the ball. Shree Charani, the top-ranked bowler in the format, will also be expected to make an impact.Shafali Verma will be another player to watch after being named Player of the Series at the Women’s Asia Cup.Japan, meanwhile, will be playing in the Asian Games cricket tournament for only the third time. Their best finish came in 2010 when they won a bronze medal.
Teqball and Soft Tennis action
Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza will start India’s Teqball campaign in the women’s singles. She faces Japan’s Yuina Sakamoto before taking on Cambodia’s Koemyean Dy.If Dsouza progresses, she could also play in the women’s singles quarter-finals on the same day.She will later join Mohamed Anas Imran Beg for India’s mixed doubles campaign. The Indian pair will face the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand and Kuwait in the group stage.In Soft Tennis, Jay Meena, Aryan Thakur and Yogesh Choudhary will represent India in the men’s team qualification event.
India’s Asian Games schedule today – September 18
| Time (IST) | Sport | Stage/Event | Athletes/Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05:30 AM | Soft Tennis | Men’s Team Qualification | Jay Meena, Aryan Thakur, Yogesh Choudhary [India] |
| 02:30 AM | Teqball | Women’s Singles Qualification, Match 2 | Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza [India] vs Yuina Sakamoto [Japan] |
| 06:30 AM | Teqball | Women’s Singles Qualification, Match 3 | Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza [India] vs Koemyean Dy [Cambodia] |
| 07:30 AM | Teqball | Women’s Singles Quarter-final | Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza [India] |
| 09:30 AM | Teqball | Mixed Doubles Qualification, Match 2 | Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza / Mohamed Anas Imran Beg [India] vs Prince Agustin / Jhoana Abulencia [Philippines] |
| 10:30 AM | Women’s Cricket | Quarter-final | India vs Japan |
| 11:00 AM | Teqball | Mixed Doubles Qualification, Match 5 | Dsouza / Beg [India] vs Thuonvireak Bun / Sophornraksmey Yorn [Cambodia] |
| 12:30 PM | Teqball | Mixed Doubles Qualification, Match 7 | Dsouza / Beg [India] vs Phakpong Dejaroen / Suphawadi Wongkhamchan [Thailand] |
| 01:00 PM | Teqball | Mixed Doubles Qualification, Match 9 | Dsouza / Beg [India] vs Salman Alebraheem / Hessah Alfailakawi [Kuwait] |
