India, Pakistan Reach Asian Games Semifinals After Washouts

India and Pakistan have advanced to the Asian Games 2026 cricket semifinals after rain washed out both of their quarterfinals before a toss could be held. The weather-related abandonments sent the higher-ranked teams through without either side taking the field.

Pakistan were scheduled to meet Hong Kong, China in the first quarterfinal at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, but incessant rain forced officials to call off the morning fixture. India’s afternoon quarterfinal against Afghanistan was also abandoned because of wet conditions, again before the toss.

The two results mean India and Pakistan move directly into the last four, while Afghanistan and Hong Kong, China have been eliminated from the competition. India entered the quarterfinal stage as the No. 1 side in the ICC rankings, while Pakistan were ranked sixth.

Rain decides two Asian Games quarterfinals

Pakistan’s fixture against Hong Kong, China was the first match affected. The scheduled morning contest did not begin, with persistent rain preventing the game from getting underway at Korogi Sports Park. There was no toss before the abandonment was confirmed.

India were then due to face Afghanistan later in the day. However, the conditions remained unsuitable for play and that quarterfinal was also called off before the captains could take part in the toss. Neither match produced a delivery, a scorecard or on-field action.

Progression was determined by the teams’ ICC rankings. India’s position at No. 1 secured their place in the semifinals over Afghanistan, while Pakistan’s sixth-place ranking was enough to take them past Hong Kong, China under the competition’s provisions for the abandoned quarterfinals.

For India and Pakistan, the washouts remove the immediate quarterfinal hurdle but leave both teams waiting to learn the identity of their semifinal opponents. For Afghanistan and Hong Kong, China, the tournament ends without an opportunity to contest their respective knockout matches.

Semifinal opponents still to be decided

India will face the winner of the third quarterfinal between Sri Lanka and Nepal. Pakistan will meet the winner of the Bangladesh versus Malaysia quarterfinal. Those two fixtures will determine the remaining semifinal lineup.

The abandoned matches make the rankings significant in the final stages of the Asian Games 2026 competition. India’s top ranking and Pakistan’s sixth-place position proved decisive after the weather prevented a result from being settled on the field.

India and Pakistan now move on to the semifinals, with their next opponents dependent on the outcomes of Sri Lanka against Nepal and Bangladesh against Malaysia. The focus shifts to those remaining quarterfinals as the tournament’s last-four pairings take shape.