# Cricket at the 2026 Asian Games – Men's Qualifier
The **Asian Games Men's T20I Qualifier 2026** was a [Twenty20 International](https://www.edgepedia.org/twenty20-international) cricket tournament held in Singapore from May 31 to June 8, 2026, that decided four of the ten places in the men's cricket competition at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 [Asian Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/asian-games) in Japan.[1](https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-series/12453/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-2026/matches) • [2](https://oca-external.goavisa.com/news/7418-nepal-malaysia-hong-kong-china-and-oman-qualify-for-mens-cricket-at-20th-asian-games.html) Nepal won the tournament, defeating Hong Kong, China by 19 runs on the DLS method (rain-adjusted target formula for interrupted cricket chases) in the final, and the four semi-finalists, Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, and Oman, all qualified for the Games.[1](https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-series/12453/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-2026/matches) • [2](https://oca-external.goavisa.com/news/7418-nepal-malaysia-hong-kong-china-and-oman-qualify-for-mens-cricket-at-20th-asian-games.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates and venue | May 31 to June 8, 2026, at the Singapore National Cricket Ground (Padang), Singapore[1](https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-series/12453/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-2026/matches) |
| Format | T20 matches: a group stage followed by semi-finals, a third-place play-off, and a final[1](https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-series/12453/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-2026/matches) |
| What was at stake | Four places in the 10-team men's cricket competition at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games[2](https://oca-external.goavisa.com/news/7418-nepal-malaysia-hong-kong-china-and-oman-qualify-for-mens-cricket-at-20th-asian-games.html) |
| Qualified | Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, and Oman, the four semi-finalists[2](https://oca-external.goavisa.com/news/7418-nepal-malaysia-hong-kong-china-and-oman-qualify-for-mens-cricket-at-20th-asian-games.html) |
| Champion | Nepal, who beat Hong Kong, China by 19 runs (DLS method) in the final[1](https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-series/12453/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-2026/matches) |
| Highest totals | Nepal 313-2 against China (221-run win); Hong Kong, China 287-1 against Oman (154-run win)[1](https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-series/12453/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-2026/matches) • [3](https://khelnow.com/cricket/competition/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-1435/fixtures-and-results) |
## Qualification pathway to the Asian Games
The men's cricket competition at the 20th Asian Games is a 10-team event. Five places went automatically to the Asian ICC full members, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and hosts Japan filled a sixth slot, leaving four places to be decided on the field in Singapore.[2](https://oca-external.goavisa.com/news/7418-nepal-malaysia-hong-kong-china-and-oman-qualify-for-mens-cricket-at-20th-asian-games.html) The Asian Games require athletes to hold passports of the countries they represent, a stricter nationality standard than ICC eligibility rules, so the associate teams fielded locally based squads.[4](https://asiangames.cricket/)
The winner of the qualifier earned no direct medal benefit; qualification was the prize, with the four semi-finalists all securing places at the Games regardless of the knockout results.[2](https://oca-external.goavisa.com/news/7418-nepal-malaysia-hong-kong-china-and-oman-qualify-for-mens-cricket-at-20th-asian-games.html)
## Teams and group stage
The teams were split into two groups. [Group A](https://www.edgepedia.org/group-a) contained China, Malaysia, Nepal, and Qatar, and [Group B](https://www.edgepedia.org/group-b) contained Bahrain, Hong Kong, China, Oman, and Singapore.[4](https://asiangames.cricket/) Nepal and Malaysia finished first and second in Group A, while Hong Kong, China and Oman finished first and second in Group B ahead of Bahrain and Singapore, sending the four group leaders to the semi-finals.[2](https://oca-external.goavisa.com/news/7418-nepal-malaysia-hong-kong-china-and-oman-qualify-for-mens-cricket-at-20th-asian-games.html)
Batting dominated the group stage. In the opening match on May 31, Nepal posted 313-2 against China and won by 221 runs, the largest margin of the tournament.[1](https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-series/12453/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-2026/matches) On June 5, Hong Kong, China reached 287-1 against Oman and won by 154 runs.[3](https://khelnow.com/cricket/competition/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-1435/fixtures-and-results) The closest group match came the same day, when Bahrain made 212-8 and defeated Singapore, who replied with 210-6, by two runs.[1](https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-series/12453/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-2026/matches) Rain affected the schedule, with the Oman-Singapore match on June 1 decided by the DLS method.[1](https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-series/12453/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-2026/matches)
## Knockout stage
In the first semi-final on June 7, Nepal bowled Oman out for 94 and chased the target in 9.2 overs, winning by eight wickets.[3](https://khelnow.com/cricket/competition/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-1435/fixtures-and-results) In the second semi-final, Hong Kong, China chased Malaysia's 114-9 with six wickets and 10 balls to spare, reaching 120-4 in 18.2 overs.[1](https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-series/12453/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-2026/matches)
The June 8 final was reduced by rain. Hong Kong, China batted first and scored 188-7 in 20 overs, but Nepal's chase was cut short at 114-2 after 11.3 overs, a total comfortably ahead of the DLS par score, giving Nepal the title by 19 runs.[1](https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-series/12453/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-2026/matches) Kushal Bhurtel top-scored in the final with 65 runs from 40 balls before being dismissed by Ehsan Khan.[5](https://www.asiancricket.org/match/398/2622) In the third-place play-off earlier that day, Malaysia chased Oman's 90 in 10 overs, winning by eight wickets.[1](https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-series/12453/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-2026/matches)
## Significance for the qualifiers
For Oman, qualification marked a debut at the Asian Games and made them the first [Arabian Peninsula](https://www.edgepedia.org/arabian-peninsula) nation to qualify for the cricket competition.[4](https://asiangames.cricket/) Nepal, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, China returned to a Games field that also includes the five full members and Japan.[2](https://oca-external.goavisa.com/news/7418-nepal-malaysia-hong-kong-china-and-oman-qualify-for-mens-cricket-at-20th-asian-games.html)
At the Games themselves, the four qualifiers entered the preliminary group stage, since the men's tournament gives the four highest-seeded full members, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, a bye straight to the quarter-finals. Group A at the Games paired hosts Japan with Afghanistan and Nepal, while Group B contained Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, and Oman.[6](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/asian-games-cricket-all-you-need-to-know) The men's event runs from September 24 to October 3, 2026, at the Korogi Sports Park ground in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture, a venue that hosted the [East Asia](https://www.edgepedia.org/east-asia)-Pacific T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Qualifier as a test event.[7](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/all-the-squads-at-the-men-s-asian-games-2026) • [6](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/asian-games-cricket-all-you-need-to-know) India entered as defending gold medallists from the 2022 Hangzhou Games.[2](https://oca-external.goavisa.com/news/7418-nepal-malaysia-hong-kong-china-and-oman-qualify-for-mens-cricket-at-20th-asian-games.html)
## References
1. [Asian Games Men's T20I Qualifier, 2026 schedule, live scores and results, Cricbuzz](https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-series/12453/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-2026/matches)
2. [Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong China and Oman qualify for men's cricket at 20th Asian Games, Olympic Council of Asia](https://oca-external.goavisa.com/news/7418-nepal-malaysia-hong-kong-china-and-oman-qualify-for-mens-cricket-at-20th-asian-games.html)
3. [Asian Games Men's T20I Qualifier fixtures and results, Khel Now](https://khelnow.com/cricket/competition/asian-games-mens-t20i-qualifier-1435/fixtures-and-results)
4. [Asian Games Cricket 2026, qualification results](https://asiangames.cricket/)
5. [Asian Games 2026 - Mens Qualifier, Nepal vs Hong Kong, China, Asian Cricket Council](https://www.asiancricket.org/match/398/2622)
6. [Asian Games Cricket: All You Need to Know, ICC](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/asian-games-cricket-all-you-need-to-know)
7. [All the squads at the Men's Asian Games 2026, ICC](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/all-the-squads-at-the-men-s-asian-games-2026)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Cricket › Cricket competitions and records › Seasons and editions › Years in cricket*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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