India Advances to Asian Games 2026 Semi-Finals After Rain Washout Against Afghanistan
India Moves into Asian Games 2026 Semi-Finals as Match Against Afghanistan is Abandoned
The quarter-final clash between India and Afghanistan at the Asian Games 2026 was called off due to persistent rain, resulting in India advancing to the semi-finals based on their higher seeding. The game was scheduled at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, but no ball was bowled.
Match Overview
- Venue: Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin
- Captains: Shreyas Iyer (India), Darwish Rasooli (Afghanistan)
- Toss Result: Match abandoned due to rain
- Match Result: India declared winners due to superior seeding after washout
- Player of the Match: Not awarded
- Live Broadcast: Sony Sports Network, SonyLIV (India), PTV (Pakistan)
- Umpires: Gazi Sohel, Prageeth Rambukwella (on-field), Viswanadan Kalidas (third umpire), Chris Thurgate (fourth umpire), Kamran Chaudary (Match referee)
Team Strengths and Lineups
India's squad, led by Shreyas Iyer, included prominent names such as Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma providing depth in batting. Their bowling attack featured Jasprit Bumrah at the forefront, supported by Arshdeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi, presenting a formidable challenge.
Afghanistan's side, captained by Darwish Rasooli, featured experienced players like Karim Janat, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, and Nangeyalia Kharoti, though much of the squad consisted of less internationally experienced cricketers, making it tough against a full-strength Indian lineup.
- India Predicted XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh/Jasprit Bumrah, Jasprit Bumrah
- Afghanistan Predicted XI: Mohammad Akram, Hassan Eisakhil, Karim Janat, Darwish Rasooli (C), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq (WK), Ismat Alam, Nangeyalia Kharoti, Abdollah Ahmadzai, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Arab Gul Momand
Win Probability Before Match
- India: 100%
- Afghanistan: 0%
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Cricket Schedule Highlights
- September 24: Afghanistan vs Japan (9:00 AM JST), Hong Kong, China vs Malaysia (2:00 PM JST)
- September 25: Hong Kong, China vs Oman (9:00 AM JST), Afghanistan vs Nepal (2:00 PM JST)
- September 26: Japan vs Nepal (9:00 AM JST), Malaysia vs Oman (2:00 PM JST)
- September 28 (Quarter-finals): Pakistan vs Hong Kong, China (9:00 AM JST), India vs Afghanistan (2:00 PM JST)
- 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
India now awaits the winner between Sri Lanka and Nepal to know their opponent for the semi-finals. Despite no play, India moves forward thanks to their tournament ranking. The question of who takes gold if the final is washed out remains a topic of discussion, alongside how rankings will decide outcomes in rain-affected knockout matches.
