Asian Games 2026: India to face Sri Lanka in men's cricket semi-final
India will face Sri Lanka in the men's cricket semi-final at the Asian Games 2026 after rain washes out the Sri Lanka vs Nepal quarter-final.
India is set for a high-stakes clash against Sri Lanka in the men's cricket semi-final at the Asian Games 2026. The matchup follows a series of weather-induced disruptions in Nisshin, Japan, which have significantly altered the tournament's trajectory.
Rain washes out quarter-finals
The tournament has been heavily impacted by persistent rainfall, leading to multiple abandoned matches. On Tuesday, the quarter-final encounter between Sri Lanka and Nepal was called off before the toss due to relentless rain that showed no signs of easing. Similarly, the match between Bangladesh and Malaysia was washed out later that day.
Because of these interruptions, teams are progressing through the knockout stages based on their official ICC T20I rankings. Under this seeding rule, Sri Lanka has advanced to the semi-finals, joining India and Pakistan, who also moved forward after their respective matches were abandoned due to rain.
Semi-final schedule and matchups
The tournament's semi-final matches are scheduled to take place on October 1. The schedule for the day is as follows:
- First Semi-final: Bangladesh vs Pakistan
- Second Semi-final: India vs Sri Lanka
India's quest for gold continues
The Shreyas Iyer-led Indian men's team is currently aiming to defend their title and retain the gold medal they secured at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. In that previous edition, India was awarded the gold after their final against Afghanistan was also washed out, with the higher-ranked side taking the title.
The Indian women's team has already achieved success in Aichi-Nagoya, successfully defending their title. Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, the women's side secured the gold medal by defeating Sri Lanka by a massive 147 runs in the final.