NISSHIN, September 28, 2026: India advanced to the semifinals of the men’s cricket competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after persistent rain abandoned their quarterfinal against Afghanistan without a single ball being bowled at Korogi Sports Park on Monday.
The relentless rain left the outfield unfit for play and prevented even the toss from taking place, bringing an early end to Afghanistan’s campaign and sending defending champions India into the last four by virtue of their higher seeding based on the ICC T20I rankings.
India, who entered the knockout stage as the top-ranked side, had been scheduled to begin their title defence against Afghanistan, who finished second in Group A. However, weather once again proved decisive in Nisshin, with rain having already disrupted preparations and washed out matches at the venue.
India will now face the winner of Tuesday’s quarterfinal between Sri Lanka and Nepal in the semifinal on October 1. Pakistan, meanwhile, also progressed to the semifinals after its quarterfinal against Hong Kong, China was abandoned because of rain.
The washout means Shreyas Iyer’s Indian side will have to wait for its first competitive knockout match at the Games. India had been looking to defend the gold medal won at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Ahead of the Afghanistan clash, Iyer had spoken about the significance of leading India at a multi-sport event.
“It’s an honour to be representing India in Asian Games and captaining it at the same time,” Iyer said during the pre-match press conference.
The India captain had also stressed the importance of adapting to the conditions in Japan and maintaining the team’s standards rather than becoming overly focused on the result.
“When you represent India, there are always expectations that you have to finish at the top,” Iyer said, while describing the expectation as a positive pressure and urging his players to focus on their process.
Rain, however, had the final say.
India’s advancement also continues an unusual weather-affected Asian Games campaign in men’s cricket, with the Pakistan-Hong Kong quarterfinal earlier on Monday also abandoned without a ball being bowled.
With their semifinal now confirmed for October 1, India’s title defence remains alive—but the Shreyas Iyer-led side will enter its next match without having played a full competitive game in the knockout stage.
