Cricket has not been a regular sport at every edition of the Asian Games. Men’s cricket was first introduced at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, followed by the 2014 edition in Incheon. Cricket was not included in the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games but returned at the 2023 Hangzhou Games and continued at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya edition.
India are now the most successful men’s cricket team in Asian Games history with two gold medals. India won their first gold medal in 2023 after defeating Afghanistan in the final and retained the title in 2026 by beating Pakistan by 19 runs. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have each won one men’s cricket gold medal, while Afghanistan have finished runners-up three times.
Asian Games Cricket: Winners and Runners-Up
| Year | Host City | Gold Medal Winner | Silver Medal Winner | Bronze Medal Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Guangzhou, China | Bangladesh | Afghanistan | Pakistan |
| 2014 | Incheon, South Korea | Sri Lanka | Afghanistan | Bangladesh |
| 2018 | Jakarta-Palembang, Indonesia | Cricket Not Included | Cricket Not Included | Cricket Not Included |
| 2023 | Hangzhou, China | India | Afghanistan | Bangladesh |
| 2026 | Aichi-Nagoya, Japan | India | Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
2010 Asian Games Cricket: Bangladesh Win First Gold
The 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou marked the first appearance of men’s cricket at the continental event. Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan by five wickets in the final to become the first Asian Games cricket champions. Afghanistan won the silver medal, while Pakistan took bronze.
2014 Asian Games Cricket: Sri Lanka Become Champions
Cricket returned at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, where Sri Lanka won the men’s gold medal. Sri Lanka defeated Afghanistan by 68 runs in the final. Afghanistan again finished as runners-up and collected their second consecutive silver medal.
2023 Asian Games Cricket: India Win First Gold
India won their first Asian Games men’s cricket gold medal at the 2023 Hangzhou Games. The final against Afghanistan was affected by rain and could not be completed. India were awarded the gold medal based on their higher international T20 ranking, while Afghanistan received the silver medal.
2026 Asian Games Cricket: India Retain the Title
India successfully defended their Asian Games cricket title in 2026. In the final, India scored 211/6 in 20 overs before restricting Pakistan to 192/6, securing a 19-run victory.
Abhishek Sharma scored 61 runs for India, while Tilak Varma contributed an unbeaten 51. Pakistan’s Hasan Nawaz scored an impressive 96, but Pakistan fell short of the target. India’s victory made them the first men’s cricket team to win two consecutive Asian Games gold medals.
Asian Games Cricket Gold Medal Record
| Team | Gold Medals | Silver Medals |
|---|---|---|
| India | 2 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | 1 | 0 |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | 0 |
| Afghanistan | 0 | 3 |
| Pakistan | 0 | 1 |