The rain came as expected, and the Indian men’s cricket team walked into the semifinals of the Asian Games without even stepping foot on the field on Monday (September 28, 2026).
India’s quarterfinal against Afghanistan at the Korogi Sports Park was abandoned due to incessant drizzle and wet outfield conditions.
Keep track | Asian Games 2026 LIVE: Esha Singh wins silver, misses 25m pistol gold by a whisker It is the second time rain has played spoilsport in a clash between the sides at the Asian Games, and Afghanistan would feel hard done by, after a similar result in the final last time around.
India had won gold by virtue of being the higher-ranked team, and this time too, advanced on the basis of its ranking.
The outcome was almost confirmed when Pakistan’s last-eight game against Hong Kong was called off in the morning.
Nagoya has had non-stop rain for the past two days, barring brief interludes and given the overcast conditions, even a few hours of dry spell would not have been enough.
The teams did not even leave their dressing rooms as they waited for the formal announcement.
Asian Games 2026: Esha guns down silver in a dramatic final India now awaits the winner of the Sri Lanka-Nepal contest to be played on Tuesday (Septmber 29).
If that too is abandoned, India will face the Sri Lankans for a spot in the final.
With the rules for the title decider being changed for this edition, a washout would mean shared gold medal between the finalists.
