Japan and Afghanistan are set to face each other in the opening match of the Asian Games 2026 at the Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. The contest will mark the first-ever meeting between the two teams in senior men’s international cricket, adding further significance to the tournament opener.
Afghanistan are entering the competition with a strong developmental squad featuring several players with extensive franchise cricket experience. Karim Janat, Najibullah Zadran and captain Darwish Rasooli are among the experienced names in the lineup, while Nangeyalia Kharoti and Arab Gul Momand could be important with the ball.
Japan, meanwhile, will have home conditions on their side and will be led by Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming. Ibrahim Takahashi and Charlie Hara-Hinze are among the players expected to play important roles, with Japan looking to build on their recent regional cricket experience and make a strong start to the tournament.
JPN vs AFG, Asian Games 2026: Match Details
- Date and Time: September 24, 9:00 AM Local / 12:00 AM GMT / 5:30 AM IST
- Venue: Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin
JPN vs AFG Head-to-Head Record in T20s
Japan and Afghanistan have never faced each other in men’s international cricket, making this their first meeting in any international format.
Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park Pitch Report
The match will be the first T20 fixture at the newly developed Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park, meaning there is no previous data from the venue to establish a par score. The fresh surface is expected to offer a reasonable contest between bat and ball, with pace bowlers likely to get some bounce during the early stages.
Batters could find stroke-making relatively comfortable once they settle in, but the conditions are expected to change as the game progresses. The surface may become slower later in the innings, bringing spinners into the game and making it more difficult for batters to maintain a high scoring rate.
Teams could therefore look to make the most of the powerplay before the pitch starts offering greater assistance to spin. The lack of previous T20 matches at the ground makes judging a competitive total difficult, but batting first could be a useful option if the surface becomes slower during the second innings.
Squads
Afghanistan: Karim Janat, Darwish Rasooli (c), Faisal Shinozada, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq (w), Nangeyalia Kharoti, Farmanullah Safi, Imran Mir, Arab Gul Momand, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Khalid Taniwal, Hassan Eisakhil, Ismat Alam, Mohammad Akram
Japan: Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (c), Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake, Ibrahim Takahashi, Benjamin Ito-Davis, Alexander Shirai-Patmore (w), Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Wataru Miyauchi, Charlie Hara-Hinze, Declan Suzuki-McComb, Makoto Taniyama, Shoma Sugaya-Slater, Jake Kusuda-Nairn, Alester Kadowaki-Fleming, Tsuyoshi Takada, Kohei Kubota
Also READ: Sri Lanka names Asian Games 2026 squad; Sahan Arachchige appointed captain
JPN vs AFG, Asian Games 2026: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- JPN wins the toss and bowls first
- AFG’s powerplay score: 55-60
- AFG’s total score: 170-180
Case 2:
- AFG wins the toss and bowls first
- JPN’s powerplay score: 25-30
- JPN’s total score: 100-110
Match Result: Team batting first to win the match.
