'India has set a benchmark in Asian cricket over the years' - Sanjay Manjrekar backs Indian men's and women's teams to win gold at Asian Games

Cricket at the Asian Games 2026 will take place from September 17 to October 3 at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi, Japan, with both men's and women's competitions contested in T20 format. India are defending champions after winning gold medals in both categories at Hangzhou 2023. The women's tournament runs from September 17 to September 22, while the men's competition begins on September 24 with the gold medal match scheduled for October 3.

Sanjay Manjrekar, who is part of the men's commentary panel for the tournament, has backed both Indian teams to continue their success on the continental stage. The former India batter expressed his confidence in the squads assembled for the competition, highlighting the blend of experience and emerging talent within the teams.

"India has set the benchmark in Asian cricket over the years, and this squad has everything it takes to continue that legacy. With established stars alongside fearless young talent, the team has the depth and quality to defend its Asian Games gold medal," Manjrekar said in a press release by SonyLiv, the broadcaster.

"Cricket at the Asian Games brings a different kind of challenge, and it will be fascinating to see how this group embraces the responsibility of maintaining India's dominance on the continental stage," he added.

The men's squad is captained by Shreyas Iyer and includes established performers such as Jasprit Bumrah alongside emerging talents Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who will be making their first Asian Games appearance.

The women's team, captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, features a strong core of players including Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh.

India's women will begin their title defence against hosts Japan in the quarter-finals on September 18. Both squads carry the responsibility of maintaining India's dominance in Asian cricket while competing for gold medals that will contribute to the country's overall tally at the Games.

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The tournament presents an opportunity for Indian cricket to showcase the depth of talent built across both the men's and women's games, with expectations naturally high as defending champions. It is interesting to note that both India's men's and women's teams are the defending Asia Cup champions.