India and Pakistan have advanced to the semifinals of the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket tournament without playing a single ball in their respective quarterfinals. Both matches at the Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin were abandoned due to persistent rain on Monday, September 28.
India and Pakistan entered the knockout stage directly based on their ICC T20I rankings. With both quarterfinals washed out without a toss, the higher-ranked teams progressed under the tournament rules. The two archrivals are just one win away from reaching the gold-medal match in the Asian Games 2026.
India Advance to Semifinals After Afghanistan Quarterfinal Washout
India’s quarterfinal against Afghanistan was abandoned without a toss after continuous rain left the outfield unplayable. With no possibility of completing the match, Afghanistan’s campaign came to an end without the team getting a chance to challenge the defending champions.
India progressed because they held the higher ICC T20I ranking. The Men in Blue had received a direct entry into the quarterfinals alongside Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, while Afghanistan qualified for the last eight after finishing second in Group A.
The Men in Blue remain firmly in contention to defend their Asian Games gold medal. Shreyas Iyer’s side had entered the competition with a strong squad and will now turn its attention to the next stage without having played a quarterfinal match.
The Men in Blue will face the winner of Tuesday’s quarterfinal between Bangladesh and Malaysia in the second semifinal on October 1. Bangladesh and Malaysia will therefore have the opportunity to determine who takes on the defending champions in the last four.
Pakistan Beat Rain to Reach Semifinals Without Facing Hong Kong
Pakistan, led by Sahibzada Farhan, faced a similar situation in their quarterfinal against Hong Kong. Persistent rain at Korogi Sports Park prevented the match from starting, with the umpires abandoning the contest without a toss.
Pakistan progressed under the tournament’s ranking-based rule after entering the quarterfinals as one of the directly qualified teams. The sixth-ranked side therefore moved into the last four, while 24th-ranked Hong Kong exited the competition without taking the field against the Men in Green.
Pakistan will face the winner of the Sri Lanka-Nepal quarterfinal in the semifinals. Sahibzada Farhan, who is yet to make his official debut as Pakistan captain, will lead his side in the last four.
India and Pakistan on Opposite Sides of Asian Games 2026 Draw
The semifinal lineup will be completed after the remaining quarterfinals. Pakistan are on one side of the knockout bracket, while the Men in Blue are positioned on the other, ruling out a meeting between the two rivals in the semifinals.
Both semifinals will be played at the Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Thursday, October 1. Pakistan will play the first semifinal at 9:00 AM local time (5:30 AM IST), while India’s semifinal will begin at 1:30 PM local time (10:00 AM IST).
A meeting between Shreyas Iyer's side and Pakistan remains possible in the gold-medal final if both teams win their respective semifinals. If both sides lose in the last four, they could instead meet in the bronze-medal match.
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