Abhay Singh lost the gold medal to a Malaysian player at the 2026 Asian Games

The quarterfinals of the men's cricket tournament at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya have been fully determined. After the match in Group A was cancelled due to rain on September 26 (Saturday), Nepal and Afghanistan advanced to the next round, while the host country Japan was eliminated from the tournament.

Malaysia and Hong Kong advanced to the next stage from Group B. In the last match of Group A, Nepal and Japan faced each other. This match took place at Korogi Sports Park in Nishin city. Nepal, having lost the toss, started with bat, scoring a strong total of 149/4 in 15 overs. Sandeep Jora and Lokesh Bam helped the team reach a good position, but then it started raining. Due to the continuous rain, Japan's innings did not begin, and the match ended without a winner.

This result brought direct benefits to Nepal and Afghanistan. Earlier, Nepal achieved a major surprise in Group A by defeating Afghanistan. For Japan, this match was the last chance to remain in the tournament, but the rain dashed its hopes.

In Group B, the match between Malaysia and Oman was also cancelled due to rain, and no balls were bowled. As a result of this match, Malaysia and Hong Kong qualified for the quarterfinals, and Oman's campaign ended.

Following the completion of the preliminary round matches, the full quarterfinal schedule was announced. India will face Afghanistan on September 28 (Monday) at 10:00 AM. On the same day, at 5:30 AM Indian time, Pakistan and Hong Kong will meet. The third quarterfinal match will feature Sri Lanka against Nepal, and in the fourth quarterfinal, Malaysia will play against Bangladesh. Both of these matches will take place on September 29 (Tuesday).

The Oman men's cricket team suffered a defeat against the Hong Kong team with a score of 41 points at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, but public attention was drawn more to the composition of the players who took the field.

In the match, seven players from the Oman team shared the same surname. Moreover, there are nine athletes with this surname in the overall team roster. The match took place on September 25 (Friday) at the Korogi Stadium in Nishin. The Omani team, under the guidance of Sufyan Mahmoud, fielded a lineup that included Mohammed Al Balushi, Shuaib Al Balushi, Jubair Al Balushi, Wahid Al Balushi, Isa Al Balushi, Navid Al Balushi, and Faris Al Balushi. Thus, among the eleven players who took the field, seven had the surname 'Al Balushi'. Additionally, Wasim Al Balushi and Kais Al Balushi are also part of the team, bringing the total number of players with this surname to nine.

It is interesting that the players with the surname 'Al Balushi' initiated the attack for the Oman team. Mohammed Al Balushi, Shuaib Al Balushi, Jubair Al Balushi, and Wahid Al Balushi took positions from number one to four. Nevertheless, facing the bowling of the Hong Kong players, none of them managed to play a major innings. Shuaib Al Balushi scored 20 runs, while Mohammed Al Balushi earned 2, Jubair Al Balushi scored 0, and Wahid Al Balushi only 1 run.

In terms of bowling, three players with the surname Al Balushi demonstrated outstanding results. Mohammed Al Balushi, Shuaib Al Balushi, and Navid Al Balushi helped the team secure five outs against Hong Kong. Mohammed Al Balushi proved to be the most successful bowler, taking three wickets while conceding 17 runs.

Mohammed Al Balushi debuted for Oman in T20 International this year. He has played six T20I matches, and his best performance is 81 runs, achieved on June 3, 2026, against Bahrain. Shuaib Al Balushi also has experience in six T20 International matches; this 30-year-old all-rounder scored 117 runs and took four wickets. Jubair Al Balushi has also played six T20I matches, while Wahid Al Balushi debuted internationally against Hong Kong. Navid Al Balushi has taken seven wickets in five T20I matches, his best performance being 4/22, which he showed in his debut match against Singapore. Faris Al Balushi has played in two T20I matches and scored 10 runs.

The Indian team defeated Afghanistan in the third and final T20 series match, winning by a margin of 127 runs. This victory allowed India to clinch the T20 series with a score of 3-0. The match took place on September 17th at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

Abhishek Sharma was the hero of the victory, scoring 108 runs off 34 balls, hitting 11 sixes and 9 fours. His powerful performance led to the breaking of several records, but a moment occurred after the match that made this victory special.

India's captain, Shreyas Iyer, demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship by inviting Afghanistan's captain, Ibrahima Jadaran, to participate in the trophy presentation ceremony. Iyer called Jadaran onto the stage so he could join the celebration of the Indian team. Afterward, Jadaran was seen in a joint photograph with the Indian players and support staff.

Although it was a series win for India, Shreyas Iyer showed respect to the opponent. This moment clearly demonstrates the respect and friendliness between players after the completion of an intense competition. Great batsman Sunil Gavaskar highly praised Iyer's gesture, calling his inclusion of the rival captain in the photo magnificent. Gavaskar noted that such moments are what remain in memory for many years.

Shreyas Iyer's action reminded one of an old Indian cricket event. In June 2018, Afghanistan played its first Test match against India in Bangalore. This match held historical significance for Afghanistan as they were playing their first Test after becoming the 12th full member of the ICC. India won that match by an innings and 262 runs.

After that match, captain Ajinkya Rahane invited Afghan captain Asghar Afghan and his team for a joint photo with the Indian players. Approximately eight years later, Iyer repeated something similar with Jadaran. In both cases, the result was in favor of India, but there was a tradition of respect for the opposing team after a victory.

Earlier, Abhishek Sharma dealt a serious blow to the bowling efforts of the Afghan players. He completed his century in just 30 balls, becoming the fastest batter in T20 International for India. He surpassed Rohit Sharma's record, who reached a century in 35 balls. Sanju Samson also bolstered the team's score, scoring a half-century in the second consecutive match. Thanks to Abhishek's explosive play, India scored 221 runs, winning while losing 7 wickets.

The Afghanistan team, which was chasing the target, faced pressure from the beginning. Axar Patel dismissed Rehmanullah Gurbaz and Sedikul Attal in the powerplay. Then Jasprit Bumrah created trouble with a perfect yorker. Yash Thakur increased the difficulties for Afghanistan, taking the wicket of Ibrahima Jadaran in the sixth over. Nitish Kumar Reddy also closed the door to the team's comeback, taking three wickets. Ultimately, the entire Afghanistan team was dismissed in 14.1 overs, scoring only 94 runs, and India won the match by a margin of 127 runs.