Rain has seriously affected the 2026 Asian Games in Itte-Nago, overshadowing the tension in the men's cricket tournament. Four quarter-final matches scheduled at the Korogi Sports Park in Nishine were cancelled because not a single ball was bowled. This circumstance gave an advantage to teams with higher rankings. The teams that advanced to the semi-finals are India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
The quarter-final match between India and Afghanistan, which was supposed to take place on Monday, September 28, did not happen due to rain, allowing the Indian team to automatically advance to the semi-finals. Now India will play against Sri Lanka. This semi-final match is scheduled for October 1 (Thursday) and will start at 10:00 Indian time.
Sri Lanka also could not take the field in its quarter-final against Nepal on Tuesday (September 29) due to incessant rain, thus reaching the final four. The Indian team aims to win the gold medal for the second consecutive time. Three years ago, the team won gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, and now it seeks to defend its title.
In the second semi-final, Pakistan and Bangladesh will meet. This match will also take place on October 1 and will start at 5:30 Indian time. Pakistan's quarter-final against Hong Kong was scheduled for September 28, and Bangladesh was supposed to play against Malaysia on September 29; both of these matches were also cancelled due to rain. Thanks to their higher ranking, Pakistan and Bangladesh also secured spots in the semi-finals.
Thus, no team had the opportunity to demonstrate its strength in the playoffs. The semi-final between India and Sri Lanka will be the first major clash in the next stage. It should be noted that India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan received direct entry into the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Nepal, Afghanistan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia qualified for the quarter-finals after good performances in the group stage.
Schedule of men's cricket matches at the Asian Games:
- October 1 — First semi-final (Pakistan vs Bangladesh), 5:30 AM
- October 1 — Second semi-final (India vs Sri Lanka), 10:00 AM
- October 3 — Bronze medal match, 5:30 AM
- October 3 — Final (gold medal match), 10:00 AM
The men's cricket squad for the Indian Asian Games includes Sandeep Samson (wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar, Yashas Thakur, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and Vipraj Nigam.