India advance after their quarterfinal against Afghanistan is abandoned in Nisshin; Pakistan also progress following a washout against Hong Kong.
Nisshin, Sept 2026 : Persistent rain washed out the second men's cricket quarterfinal between India and Afghanistan at Karogi Sports Park here on Monday, sending India into the Asian Games semifinals on the basis of their higher ICC T20I ranking.
The outcome mirrored the day's first quarterfinal, in which Pakistan also advanced after rain prevented any play against Hong Kong, China. Both knockout matches were abandoned without a ball being bowled, with the weather in Nisshin disrupting the competition schedule.
Rain had already affected conditions in the city on the eve of the quarterfinals, and showers continued into Monday. The Pakistan-Hong Kong match was scheduled to begin at 5:30 a.m. IST but was called off without a toss after officials found conditions unsuitable for play.
The India-Afghanistan quarterfinal was scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. IST, with the toss planned for 10 a.m. However, persistent rain through the morning prevented the match from getting underway and eventually forced its abandonment.
India entered the contest as the higher-ranked team in the ICC men's T20I rankings. India are ranked No. 1, while Afghanistan are placed 10th. Pakistan, ranked sixth, similarly held the advantage over Hong Kong, China, who are ranked 24th.
Under the competition rules, the higher-ranked team advances if a quarterfinal cannot produce a result because of weather or other circumstances. As a result, India secured their place in the last four without having to take the field against Afghanistan.
India captain Shreyas Iyer had acknowledged the possibility of rain ahead of the match but said the team remained focused on preparing for the contest.
"Yes, rain is there, but that is the reason we can't give up because we have decided that we are a bunch of professionals and all these hurdles will keep coming," Iyer said at a press conference on Sunday.
He said the players had managed a limited warm-up and some knocking practice and would look to adapt to the conditions before the match.
"We have to be prepared mentally irrespective of whatever the situation is going to be," Iyer said, adding that the primary focus remained on playing the match rather than worrying about the weather.
With their quarterfinal now washed out, India will face the winner of Tuesday's third quarterfinal between Sri Lanka and Nepal in the semifinal.
Pakistan, meanwhile, will take on the winner of the fourth quarterfinal between Bangladesh and Malaysia.
The remaining quarterfinals are scheduled for Tuesday, while the semifinals will be played on Thursday. The weather-affected knockout stage has already produced an unusual situation, with both India and Pakistan reaching the semifinals without playing their respective quarterfinal matches.
For India, the result keeps alive their campaign to defend the men's cricket gold medal won at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where the final was also affected by rain.
