India arrives at the Aichi‑Nagoya Asian Games on September 22 with a marathon of competitions spanning equestrian, shooting, badminton, wushu, and a host of other sports. The day’s most prominent fixture is the women’s cricket final against Sri Lanka, a contest that will decide whether India can retain its title and claim the nation’s first gold medal of the 2026 Games.
Cricket final takes centre stage
The defending champions, India’s women’s cricket team, have progressed to the final after a dominant tournament run. A victory at 10:30 a.m. would not only secure back‑to‑back Asian Games titles but also deliver India’s inaugural gold medal of the current edition. The match, scheduled against Sri Lanka, is expected to draw the largest viewership of the day and will be closely watched by officials eager for a strong start to the medal tally.
Other medal‑contending events
While cricket commands headlines, Indian athletes are slated for action in several other disciplines. In shooting, Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Rakesh Mane will compete in the 10 m air‑rifle mixed team qualification and medal rounds beginning at 6:15 a.m. The same morning, a trio of shooters—Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Mairaj Khan and Bhavtegh Singh Gill—will contest the men’s skeet individual qualification and team final, with women’s skeet participants Raiza Dhillon, Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Maheshwari Chauhan also taking part.
Wushu sees Langlentombi Devi Hanjabam in two finals: the women’s Nanquan final at 6:29 a.m. and the women’s Nandao final at 11:59 a.m. Both events offer further medal possibilities. In badminton, India’s women’s team will meet Japan in a quarter‑final at 6:00 a.m., followed by the men’s team quarter‑final against the same opponent at 11:30 a.m.
Fencing action begins at 6:30 a.m. with men’s individual foil bouts for Sachin and Hemash Singh, and women’s epee pool bouts for Mitva Chaudhari and Tanishka Khatri. The day will progress through quarter‑finals, semifinals and finals, providing multiple chances for Indian fencers to advance.
Early‑morning contests across the board
The schedule kicks off before sunrise with equestrian dressage featuring Fouaad Mirza on Camouflage 38 and Arjan Nagra on Cooley Goodwood at 4:30 a.m. Sepaktakraw follows at 5:30 a.m., where India’s men will face Malaysia in the Regu Group B match. Soft tennis also starts early, with Aadhya Tiwari playing Alisha Ziegler of Thailand in the women’s singles Group D at 5:30 a.m., and Jay Meena taking on Hussain Arain of Pakistan in the men’s singles Group D at 7:00 a.m.
Table tennis sees India versus Thailand in the women’s team round of 16 at 6:30 a.m., while swimming begins with Aryan Nehra’s 1500 m freestyle final B at 7:29 a.m. The men’s 4 × 100 m medley relay heats are slated for 8:05 a.m., featuring a quartet of Indian swimmers.
Midday and afternoon highlights
Boxing matches are scheduled throughout the morning, starting with Sakshi Chaudhary’s women’s 51 kg round of 32 bout at 9:00 a.m. and continuing with Jadumani Singh’s men’s 55 kg round of 32 at 10:30 a.m. Karate athletes also feature prominently: Chetan Bhatt will compete in the men’s –84 kg kumite semifinals at 7:35 a.m., with a potential final at 10:35 p.m. if he advances. Alisha Choudhary is set for multiple women’s –55 kg kumite bouts, including a round‑of‑16 match at 9:20 a.m., a possible quarterfinal at 10:04 a.m., a bronze‑medal match at 10:40 a.m., and a gold‑medal match at 12:50 p.m., contingent on her progression.
Soft tennis continues with Aadhya Tiwari’s second group match against Kainaat Shallwani of Pakistan at 10:30 a.m., and Aryan Thakur’s men’s singles bout versus Chen Po‑Yi of Chinese Taipei at noon. The day concludes with the men’s hockey pool match against Sri Lanka at 3:30 p.m., and a wushu quarterfinal featuring Roshibina Devi at approximately 3:15 p.m.
Across the spectrum of sports, Indian athletes are positioned to contest for medals in at least a dozen disciplines on September 22. While the cricket final remains the headline event, the breadth of participation underscores India’s comprehensive approach to the Asian Games, aiming to convert early opportunities into a strong overall medal haul.
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