Persistent rain prevents a ball from being bowled at Korogi Sports Park, sending Pakistan through on their higher ICC T20I ranking.
Nisshin, Sept 2026 : Pakistan advanced to the men's cricket semifinals at the Asian Games 2026 without taking the field after persistent rain forced the abandonment of their quarterfinal against Hong Kong, China at Korogi Sports Park here on Monday.
The match was called off without a toss or a single ball being bowled, with the wet outfield and continued showers leaving officials with no realistic opportunity to stage even a shortened contest. Under the tournament rules, Pakistan progressed because of their higher ICC T20I ranking, while Hong Kong's campaign came to an end at the quarterfinal stage.
Pakistan will face the winner of Tuesday's quarterfinal between Bangladesh and Malaysia in the semifinals, scheduled for October 1. The bronze-medal match and the final are set to be played on October 3.
Pakistan entered the knockout stage directly along with India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh after receiving first-round byes as the four highest-ranked seeded teams in the competition. Hong Kong, meanwhile, qualified for the quarterfinals after finishing second in Group B behind Malaysia.
The two sides have met twice previously in the T20 format, including at the 2022 Asia Cup and the 2023 Asian Games, with Pakistan winning both encounters. Pakistan had been scheduled to begin their campaign against Hong Kong under captain Sahibzada Farhan, but the weather denied the team an opportunity to test its new-look squad in competitive action.
Rain had already affected preparations in Nisshin. Pakistan's training session on Sunday was disrupted by overnight showers and a wet outfield, while persistent rainfall continued into Monday morning. Officials waited for conditions to improve before eventually abandoning the quarterfinal.
The washout also raised concerns over the second quarterfinal of the day, featuring defending champions India against Afghanistan at the same venue. Forecasts indicated a significant possibility of further rain in Nisshin, creating uncertainty over whether the second knockout match would get underway as scheduled.
The competition rules mean that a washout in a knockout match can have a major impact on the semifinal line-up. The higher-ranked side advances when a quarterfinal cannot produce a result. India entered the tournament as the top-ranked T20I side, while Afghanistan were ranked lower, meaning India would progress if their quarterfinal was similarly abandoned.
India are also the defending Asian Games champions in men's cricket. At the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, India won the gold medal after the final against Afghanistan was abandoned because of rain, with India awarded the title on the basis of their higher seeding. The latest weather disruption therefore brought back memories of the previous edition, where rain also influenced the medal outcome.
The men's cricket competition features eight teams in the knockout phase. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh received direct entry into the quarterfinals, while Afghanistan, Nepal, Hong Kong and Malaysia emerged from the group stage. The semifinals are scheduled for October 1, followed by the medal matches two days later.
For Pakistan, the rain-induced advancement keeps their medal campaign alive without having played a competitive match at the Games. The team will now await the outcome of Bangladesh's quarterfinal against Malaysia to determine its semifinal opponent.
Hong Kong, meanwhile, were left to exit the tournament without getting an opportunity to challenge Pakistan on the field, as the weather ultimately decided the first men's cricket quarterfinal of the Asian Games.
