New Delhi, 29 September (H.S.): India will face Sri Lanka in the men’s cricket semi-final at the 2026 Asian Games after Sri Lanka’s quarter-final against Nepal was abandoned without a ball being bowled on Tuesday, with the island nation advancing to the last four on the basis of its superior ranking.

The match in Nisshin had to be called off before the toss due to persistent rain. Rain had begun several hours before the scheduled 9 a.m. local start, and conditions did not improve sufficiently for play to begin. Sri Lanka were among the seeded teams in the tournament, alongside India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, based on their international T20 rankings. Their higher seeding secured them a place in the semi-finals after the quarter-final was washed out.

India, led by Shreyas Iyer, had also advanced to the semi-finals on the basis of their superior ranking after their quarter-final against Afghanistan was abandoned due to rain. Pakistan similarly progressed to the last four after their quarter-final against Hong Kong was washed out.

Sri Lanka had been eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2022 Asian Games after losing to Afghanistan. The team will now look to overcome India and secure a place in the final.

In the other semi-final, Bangladesh will face Pakistan. The quarter-final between Bangladesh and Malaysia was also abandoned due to rain on Tuesday. Both semi-finals are scheduled to be played on October 1. Bangladesh and Pakistan will meet in the first semi-final, while India and Sri Lanka will contest the second.

The Indian men’s team entered the Asian Games aiming to defend its cricket title. India won the men’s cricket gold medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. The final against Afghanistan was abandoned due to rain, with India awarded the gold medal on the basis of its superior ranking.

Meanwhile, the Indian women’s cricket team has successfully defended its Asian Games title at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, India defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final to claim the gold medal.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar