India Advances to Asian Games 2026 Cricket Semi-Finals After Rain Forces Quarterfinal Abandonment
The quarterfinal match between India and Afghanistan at the Asian Games 2026 was abandoned due to persistent rain, allowing India to progress to the semi-finals based on superior seeding. The fixture was scheduled at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, but never got underway.
Match Details
- Venue: Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin
- Captains: Shreyas Iyer (India), Darwish Rasooli (Afghanistan)
- Toss Result: Match abandoned
- Result: India advanced after abandonment due to rain
- Live Telecast: Sony Sports Network, SonyLIV (India), PTV (Pakistan)
- Officials: Gazi Sohel and Prageeth Rambukwella (on-field umpires), Viswanadan Kalidas (third umpire), Chris Thurgate (fourth umpire), Kamran Chaudary (match referee)
Summary of the Situation
The weather did not permit any play, leading to the match being called off before it could start. Due to tournament rules prioritizing team seedings in case of washouts during knockout stages, India earned the spot in the last four. They are set to face either Sri Lanka or Nepal next.
Team Lineups (Predicted)
- India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh/Jasprit Bumrah, Jasprit Bumrah
- Afghanistan: Mohammad Akram, Hassan Eisakhil, Karim Janat, Darwish Rasooli (Captain), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq (Wicketkeeper), Ismat Alam, Nangeyalia Kharoti, Abdollah Ahmadzai, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Arab Gul Momand
Context Around the Teams
India's squad featured a strong lineup led by Shreyas Iyer with batting powerhouses like Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma. Their bowling attack was led by Jasprit Bumrah, supported by Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi, making the team formidable.
Afghanistan, captained by Darwish Rasooli, included experienced names like Karim Janat and Najibullah Zadran. Still, much of their squad was relatively inexperienced internationally, making the challenge steep against India.
Win Probability Before Abandonment
- India: 100%
- Afghanistan: 0%
Asian Games Men’s Cricket Schedule Highlights
- September 24 - Afghanistan vs Japan; Hong Kong, China vs Malaysia
- September 25 - Hong Kong, China vs Oman; Afghanistan vs Nepal
- September 26 - Japan vs Nepal; Malaysia vs Oman
- September 28 - Quarter-finals: Pakistan vs Hong Kong, China; India vs Afghanistan
- September 29 - Quarter-finals: Sri Lanka vs Nepal; Bangladesh vs Malaysia
- October 1 - Semi-final 1: India vs TBD
- October 3 - Bronze medal match and Final
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