New Delhi: India’s women’s cricket team has begun its Asian Games 2026 campaign ahead of the official opening ceremony in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, India take on hosts Japan in the women’s cricket quarter-final on Friday, September 18. The match is being played at the Kōrogi Sports Park in Nisshin and began at 10:30 am IST.

The match can be watched live in India on Sony Sports Network, while live streaming is available on the SonyLIV app and website.

India are the defending champions in women’s cricket at the Asian Games after winning the gold medal at the 2022 edition in Hangzhou. The team will be aiming to begin its title defence with a win and progress to the semi-finals.

When did India's women's cricket campaign begin?

India’s women’s cricket campaign began on September 18, a day before the official opening ceremony of the Asian Games.

The quarter-final against Japan is the fourth and final women’s cricket quarter-final of the tournament. A win would take India into the semi-finals.
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When will the Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony take place?

The Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony will be held on September 19 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

The official Games period runs from September 19 to October 4, although some competitions, including cricket, began before the opening ceremony.

The 20th Asian Games will feature athletes from 45 countries and regions competing across 43 sports. Japan is hosting the continental multi-sport event for the third time, after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.

Where can you watch Asian Games 2026 live in India?

The Asian Games will be broadcast live in India on the Sony Sports Network.

Television coverage will be available across multiple Sony Sports channels, including regional-language coverage.

Sony Sports 1 and Sony Sports 5 will carry live coverage, while Sony Sports 3 will offer Hindi coverage. Sony Sports 4 will provide coverage in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.

For digital viewers, the Games will be streamed live on SonyLIV through its app and website.
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India's Asian Games campaign

India heads into Aichi-Nagoya after its record medal haul at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, where it won 107 medals, including 28 gold.

Besides cricket, India will compete across sports including hockey, athletics, badminton, shooting, wrestling, boxing, kabaddi and archery.

Several prominent Indian athletes are set to feature at the Games, with the country aiming to build on its record performance in Hangzhou.

The Indian men’s cricket team will also compete in the tournament later in the Games.