Recognised as the grandest multi-sport event after the Olympics, the Asian Games has consistently grown in stature and diversity since its inception in 1951. Over its illustrious history, the Games have encompassed a whopping 54 sports. But Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China, will see the inclusion of two more sports into the mix, Breaking and E-Sports, raising the tally to 56. Not just this, two crowd-pleasing sports, cricket and chess, will also be making a thrilling comeback this time around much to the anticipation of fans.
However, as is the nature of such vast events, not all sports from the 2018 roster have made the cut this year. Notably absent are Paragliding, Pencak silat, and Sambo. In addition, past games have seen events like bodybuilding, cue sports, and dance sport, which aren't part of the current lineup.
The 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou will feature a diverse palette of 40 sports, spanning 61 disciplines. But all eyes will be glued on two big sports, cricket and chess which are set to make a splash in the Asian Games 2023 and will also be India's major medal prospects.
Cricket: The Crowd-Pleaser Returns (Previously featured in 2010 and 2014)
Cricket, arguably the subcontinent's most revered sport, is once again gracing the Asian Games. With events slated for both men's and women's teams, excitement is at an all-time high. Though not a debut for cricket, India's decision to participate (after opting out in 2010 and 2014) significantly elevates the status of the competition. The stakes are high, and expectations soaring, as India fields its best, holding titles as Asian champions in the T20I format for men and a commendable three-time Asian champion title for women.
Cricket's men’s competition will see 15 teams participating, with the tournament commencing on September 27. The bronze and gold medal matches will be played on October 7. Notably, the four top teams participating in the event — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — will directly start their campaigns from the quarter-finals while the remaining 11 will start from the group stage. The four group winners will join the big four in the top eight stage.
Here is the complete schedule for the men's cricket tournament
Date | Match | Group | Time |
| September 27, Wednesday | Nepal vs Japan | B | 6:30 AM |
| September 27, Wednesday | Hong Kong vs Singapore | C | 11:30 AM |
| September 28, Thursday | Malaysia vs Bahrain | D | 6:30 AM |
| September 28, Thursday | Japan vs Cambodia | B | 11:30 AM |
| September 29, Friday | Maldives vs Malaysia | D | 6:30 AM |
| September 29, Friday | Singapore vs Thailand | C | 11:30 AM |
| October 1, Sunday | Afghanistan vs Mongolia | A | 6:30 AM |
| October 1, Sunday | Cambodia vs Nepal | B | 11:30 AM |
| October 2, Monday | Thailand vs Hong Kong | C | 6:30 AM |
| October 2, Monday | Bahrain vs Maldives | D | 11:30 AM |
| October 3, Tuesday | India (1st ranked team) vs TBD | Quarter-final 1 (QF 1) | 6:30 AM |
| October 3, Tuesday | Pakistan (2nd ranked team) vs TBD | Quarter-final 2 (QF2) | 11:30 AM |
| October 4, Wednesday | Sri Lanka (3rd ranked team) vs TBD | Quarter-final 3 (QF 3) | 6:30 AM |
| October 4, Wednesday | Bangladesh (4th ranked team) vs TBD | Quarter-final 4 (QF4) | 11:30 AM |
| October 6, Friday | Winner QF 1 vs Winner QF 4 | Semi-final 1 (SF1) | 6:30 AM |
| October 6, Friday | Winner QF 2 vs Winner QF 3 | Semi-final 2 (SF2) | 11:30 AM |
| October 7, Saturday | Loser SF 1 vs Loser SF 2 | 3rd/4th match (Bronze medal playoff) | 6:30 AM |
| October 7, Saturday | Winner SF 1 vs Winner SF 2 | Final (Gold medal match) | 11:30 AM |
In the same way in cricket's women's event the same four teams have been granted direct entry into the quarter-finals, which will have eight teams. The remaining four have been drawn into two groups for the event that will run from September 19 to 25. After the group-stage games, the top two teams will qualify directly, and the losing sides will play in a quarter-final qualifier.
Here is the complete schedule for the women's cricket tournament
Date | Match | Group/Phase | Time |
| September 19, Tuesday | Indonesia vs Mongolia | A | 6:30 AM |
| September 19, Tuesday | Hong Kong vs Malaysia | B | 11:30 AM |
| September 20, Wednesday | Loser match 1 vs Loser match 2 | Quarter-final qualifier | 6:30 AM |
| September 21, Thursday | India (1st ranked team) vs TBD | Quarter-final 1 (QF 1) | 6:30 AM |
| September 21, Thursday | Pakistan (2nd ranked team) vs TBD | Quarter-final 2 (QF 2) | 11:30 AM |
| September 22, Friday | Sri Lanka (3rd ranked team) vs TBD | Quarter-final 3 (QF 3) | 6:30 AM |
| September 22, Friday | Bangladesh (4th ranked team) vs TBD | Quarter-final 4 (QF 4) | 11:30 AM |
| September 24, Sunday | Winner QF 1 vs Winner QF 4 | Semi-final 1 (SF 1) | 6:30 AM |
| September 24, Sunday | Winner QF 2 vs Winner QF 3 | Semi-final 2 (SF 2) | 11:30 AM |
| September 25, Monday | Loser SF 1 vs Loser SF 2 | 3rd/4th match (Bronze medal playoff) | 6:30 AM |
| September 25, Monday | Winner SF 1 vs Winner SF 2 | Final (Gold medal match) | 11:30 AM |
Team India's Men's squad for the Asian Games 2023: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Shivam Dube, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Akash Deep.
Standby list of players: Yash Thakur, Sai Kishore, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Sai Sudarsan.
Team India's Women's squad for Asian Games 2023: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Devika Vaidya, Titas Sadhu, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Minnu Mani, Kanika Ahuja, Uma Chetry (wk), Anusha Bareddy and Pooja Vastrakar.
Chess: A Strategical Re-entry (Returning after two editions)
After a hiatus post its 2010 appearance, chess is making a strategic comeback at the Asian Games. This edition will host four distinct events - Men's individual rapid, Women's individual rapid, Men's team rapid, and Women's team rapid. As a sport, chess has a broad fan base in Asia, with China and India leading the pack. Throw in formidable competitors from countries like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and several ASEAN nations, and we are in for some electrifying matches. Players to watch include world champion Ling Diren of China and India's celebrated champions, Vidit Gujrathi, D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and the prodigious World Cup silver medalist R Pragganandhaa. The women's section is no less thrilling, with powerhouses India, China, and Kazakhstan vying for dominance.
Indian chess team for Asian Games 2023:
Men: Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi, Pentala Harikrishna, Gukesh D, Arjun Erigaisi
Women: Vaishali Rameshbabu, Vantika Agrawal, Koneru Humpy, Savitha Shri B, Harika Dronavalli
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