India's cricket team has reached the semi-finals of the Asian Games 2026 without taking the field. The quarter-final between India and Afghanistan, scheduled for Monday, was washed out by rain. Continuous rain and a wet outfield meant the toss could not be held, and the umpires eventually called the match off.
India go through because they are ranked higher than Afghanistan in the ICC T20I team rankings. India are at the top of the rankings, while Afghanistan are 10th. India will now play their semi-final on 1 October.
Pakistan also into semi-finals without playing
Pakistan have also reached the semi-finals without playing. Their quarter-final against Hong Kong, China, scheduled for Monday, was called off because of continuous rain. The toss could not be held, and the umpires decided to abandon the match because of the rain and the wet ground.
Pakistan benefited from their better ICC T20I team ranking. They are sixth in the current rankings, while Hong Kong, China are 24th. Pakistan will play their semi-final on 1 October.
India had direct entry to quarter-finals
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh reached the quarter-finals of the Asian Games 2026 directly because of their higher rankings. Afghanistan qualified for the quarter-finals by finishing second in Group A with one win and one defeat. In the group stage, they beat Japan by 48 runs and lost to Nepal by five wickets.