Harmanpreet Kaur’s Asian Games participation hinges on team’s success | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur‘s appearance in the upcoming Asian Games will depend on her team’s performance, as they must reach the final to grant her eligibility. The mega event is scheduled to commence on September 23 in Hangzhou, promising high-stakes cricketing action.

The tournament will see four teams each in the men’s and women’s events – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh- directly playing from the last eight stage based on their ICC T20I rankings as of June 1.

All matches will hold official T20I status.
However, Harmanpreet faces a hurdle as she received a two-match ban due to a public outburst after a recent ODI game against Bangladesh. Consequently, she will be ineligible to participate in the quarter-final, which is likely to involve an associate nation, and the subsequent semi-final against a full member nation.

Meanwhile, the men’s team led by Ruturaj Gaikwad has secured a direct entry into the quarter-final, owing to their ICC T20 ranking on June 1. The men’s event will feature 18 teams, while the women’s event will see participation from 14 outfits.
The women’s competition is set to kick off on September 19 and culminate with the gold and bronze medal matches on September 26. In contrast, the men’s event will commence on September 28, with the final scheduled for October 7, just two days after the men’s ICC 50-over World Cup begins in Ahmedabad.
Should the Indian men’s team qualify for the final, they will face a challenging back-to-back schedule – playing on October 5 (quarter-final), October 6 (semi-final), and October 7 (final).

The quarter-final for the men’s team is likely to be against a second-string Afghanistan or Bangladesh team, as their first teams will be occupied in India during the World Cup. However, it remains uncertain whether the men’s team will arrive at the Games Village before the opening ceremony, considering they have nearly two weeks before their campaign commences.
Additionally, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to confirm whether the cricket teams will stay in the Games Village or opt for accommodation at a five-star facility in the city.
A total of 32 matches will take place during the Hangzhou Games, featuring 14 games in the women’s event and 18 in the men’s event. If the Indian men’s team qualifies for the final, they will play afternoon games at 12 noon IST (2:30 pm local time), adding to the challenge of consecutive high-profile matches.
(With inputs from PTI)