Pakistan and India reach the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket semi-finals after rain washes out their quarter-finals against Hong Kong and Afghanistan.
NISSHIN, JAPAN — WEB DESK: Pakistan and India advanced to the semi-finals of the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket competition on Monday after persistent rain washed out both quarter-finals at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin without a ball being bowled.
Pakistan were scheduled to face Hong Kong in the opening quarter-final, but persistent rainfall and a waterlogged outfield prevented even the toss from taking place. After officials determined that there was no realistic prospect of play, the match was abandoned.
With no reserve-day result available from the quarter-final, Pakistan progressed because of their higher ICC T20I ranking compared with Hong Kong. Pakistan had entered the knockout stage directly as one of Asia’s four highest-ranked teams, alongside India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
India’s quarter-final against Afghanistan later suffered the same fate. Persistent rain meant the second match was also abandoned without a ball being bowled, allowing defending champions India to advance because they are ranked higher than Afghanistan in the ICC T20I standings.
The weather had already threatened the knockout stage following several days of rain around Nagoya and Nisshin. Pakistan’s training session on Sunday was affected by overnight rainfall and a wet outfield, while earlier group-stage matches had also been disrupted.
Pakistan are being captained by Sahibzada Farhan, with a 15-member squad that includes Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Haider Ali and Mohammad Wasim Jr. The side arrived in Japan after a four-day training camp in Karachi focused on adapting to expected conditions.
Pakistan’s semi-final is scheduled for October 1, while the bronze-medal match and men’s cricket final are set for October 3.
The remaining quarter-finals will determine the complete last-four line-up. Nepal are scheduled to face Sri Lanka, while Bangladesh take on Malaysia.
The unusual circumstances mean both Pakistan and India reached the men’s cricket semi-finals on Monday without playing a single ball in their respective quarter-finals, with tournament qualification rules and ICC rankings determining who progressed after the washouts.
