India women meet Japan in Asian Games cricket quarter-final

India compete in teqball, soft tennis and cricket on September 18 at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led women's cricket team, defending gold medallists, face hosts Japan in the quarter-final at 10:30 AM IST at Korogi Athletic Park. The men's soft tennis team play Laos, Chinese Taipei and Mongolia in Group C. Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza features in teqball. Coverage is on Sony Sports channels and SonyLIV.

Written by AI from Business Standard · not yet reviewed by an editor · Published 18 Sept 2026, 8:18 am IST

Source

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#asian games 2026#womens cricket#teqball#soft tennis#harmanpreet kaur

Desk check · compared with the source

What the desk checked (5)

India women's cricket team plays Japan in the quarter-final at 10:30 AM IST on September 18 at Korogi Athletic Park — Schedule detail stated in source; no external verification possible.
India men's soft tennis team plays Laos (5:30 AM), Chinese Taipei (7:30 AM) and Mongolia (9:30 AM) IST in Group C — Figures appear in source schedule table and repeated in FAQ section, internally consistent.
Bangladesh reached the semi-finals after their quarter-final against China was abandoned due to rain, progressing as higher-ranked T20I side — Stated in source without named official attribution.
India women are defending gold medallists in cricket — Asserted in source; no source cited.
Telecast on Sony Sports channels and streaming on SonyLIV — Broadcast details as listed in source.

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Analysts’ view opinion

AI Sports Analyst

Starting a title defence straight in a quarter-final means no warm-up and no margin for error for India's women. On skill and depth, Harmanpreet Kaur's side should be clearly ahead of hosts Japan; the real variables are the compressed format, unfamiliar conditions and the weather. China's exit without even taking the field is a reminder that at this Asiad, the sky may be a bigger opponent than the scoreboard.

Entering at the knockout stage denies India any group-stage runway to test combinations, so intensity has to be there from ball one.
The gap on paper is wide, and in such matches the danger is complacency rather than the opposition's strength.
A win sets up a semi-final against Bangladesh, a familiar subcontinental side that typically leans on containing spin.
Bangladesh advancing on T20I rankings after their quarter-final with China was rained off shows how much ranking and weather can decide outcomes in this format.
Beyond cricket, the day also gives India exposure in newer disciplines, with Quimcy Dsouza in teqball and the men's soft tennis team in Group C.

What to watch — Watch the toss, how the surface plays and the weather — India will want a full, decisive result rather than leaving anything to rain rules.

The story offers nothing on team composition, player form, pitch behaviour or Japan's recent results, so this is a schedule-based preview and not a form-based verdict.

Deep dive

Research brief · 8 facts · 7 dates · exam-ready

The brief

Context

The 2026 Asian Games are being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, and India has a full slate of events on September 18 across teqball, soft tennis and cricket. The headline event is the India women's cricket team's quarter-final against hosts Japan; India are the defending gold medallists in the discipline. Newer, less familiar sports such as teqball and soft tennis also feature Indian entries on the same day.

Key facts

India women's cricket team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, play hosts Japan in the Asian Games quarter-final at 10:30 AM IST on September 18 at Korogi Athletic Park.
India are the defending gold medallists in women's cricket at the Asian Games.
If India win, they meet Bangladesh in the semi-final.
Bangladesh advanced to the semi-finals after their quarter-final against China was abandoned due to rain on Thursday; Bangladesh progressed as the higher-ranked side in the T20I rankings.
India's men's soft tennis team play three Group C matches on September 18: Laos at 5:30 AM IST, Chinese Taipei at 7:30 AM and Mongolia at 9:30 AM.
Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza begins the women's singles teqball campaign at 6:00 AM IST against Sakamoto Yuina of Japan, then faces Cambodia's DY Koemyean at 6:30 AM.
Dsouza pairs with Mohamed Anas Imran Beg in mixed doubles teqball from 9:30 AM IST, with group matches against the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand and Kuwait.
Telecast is on Sony Sports 1 and 5 (English), Sony Sports 3 (Hindi) and Sony Sports 4 (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada); streaming on SonyLIV app and website.

Timeline

Thursday (before September 18)Bangladesh vs China women's cricket quarter-final abandoned due to rain; Bangladesh advance as higher-ranked team in T20I rankings.
September 18, 5:30 AM ISTIndia men's soft tennis team face Laos in Group C.
September 18, 6:00 AM and 6:30 AM ISTQuimcy Joaquim Dsouza plays women's singles teqball group matches vs Japan's Sakamoto Yuina and Cambodia's DY Koemyean.
September 18, 7:30 AM ISTIndia men's soft tennis vs Chinese Taipei; teqball women's singles quarter-final if Dsouza advances.
September 18, 9:30 AM ISTIndia men's soft tennis vs Mongolia; Dsouza-Beg begin mixed doubles teqball group stage.
September 18, 10:30 AM ISTIndia women's cricket quarter-final vs Japan at Korogi Athletic Park.
September 18, 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM ISTMixed doubles teqball quarter-final and repechages scheduled if the Indian pair advances.

Who has a stake

India women's cricket team (captain Harmanpreet Kaur) — Defending gold medallists seeking a semi-final berth against Japan.
Japan (host nation) — Hosts the Games in Aichi-Nagoya and faces India in the women's cricket quarter-final.
Bangladesh women's team — Already in the semi-finals via T20I rankings after a rain-abandoned quarter-final; awaits India-Japan winner.
China women's team — Exited without playing after their quarter-final was abandoned due to rain.
Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza and Mohamed Anas Imran Beg — India's teqball entries in women's singles and mixed doubles.
India men's soft tennis team — Three Group C matches on the day decide their progression.
Sony Sports network and SonyLIV — Hold telecast and streaming rights for Indian audiences.

Why it matters

Cricket's presence at the Asian Games gives India a realistic multi-sport medal avenue, and the women's team is defending its gold in a knockout match against the hosts. The day also shows India expanding into emerging Asiad disciplines like teqball and soft tennis, where results build a base for future Games.

UPSC angle

Prelims pointers

2026 Asian Games are hosted by Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
India women's cricket team captain at the Games: Harmanpreet Kaur; India are defending gold medallists.
Venue of India vs Japan women's cricket quarter-final: Korogi Athletic Park.
Bangladesh advanced to the semi-finals on the basis of higher T20I ranking after a rain-abandoned quarter-final vs China.
Teqball and soft tennis feature in India's September 18 schedule; India's soft tennis men are in Group C with Laos, Chinese Taipei and Mongolia.
Broadcast in India: Sony Sports channels (English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada) and SonyLIV streaming.

Mains framing

The Asian Games schedule of September 18 illustrates how India's multi-sport strategy now spans both a marquee discipline and emerging ones. In cricket, the women's team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur and defending the gold, enters a single-match knockout against hosts Japan, where the format's compression means an upset or weather can decide medals: China's exit without taking the field, after a rain-abandoned quarter-final that sent Bangladesh through on T20I rankings, shows how tie-break rules and lack of reserve days shape outcomes in multi-sport events. At the same time, India's participation in teqball (women's singles and mixed doubles) and men's team soft tennis reflects a widening base in sports with shallow domestic ecosystems, where individual entrants like Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza and Mohamed Anas Imran Beg carry the load. The way forward, on the evidence available, lies in continued exposure in these newer disciplines, planning for weather-affected knockouts, and using broad-language broadcast reach across Sony Sports and SonyLIV to convert visibility into participation.

Key terms

Asian Games 2026: Continental multi-sport event hosted by Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in which India competes across cricket, teqball and soft tennis.
Teqball: Ball sport played on a curved table, contested at the Games in women's singles and mixed doubles formats.
Soft tennis: Racquet sport variant; India's men's team plays in Group C against Laos, Chinese Taipei and Mongolia.
T20I rankings: International T20 team rankings used here as tie-break to send Bangladesh through after a rain-abandoned quarter-final.
Repechage: Second-chance round; listed at 4:00 PM IST for the Indian mixed doubles teqball pair if they advance.
Korogi Athletic Park: Venue for the India vs Japan women's cricket quarter-final at 10:30 AM IST.

Practice questions

How does the absence of reserve days and the use of rankings-based tie-breaks affect fairness in multi-sport knockout tournaments? Discuss with reference to the 2026 Asian Games women's cricket event.
Cricket's inclusion in the Asian Games has expanded India's medal prospects. Examine the implications for scheduling, player workload and the growth of the sport in Asia.
What steps can India take to build competitiveness in emerging Asian Games disciplines such as teqball and soft tennis?

Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.

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