Asian games 2026 semifinal: India to face Sri Lanka on October 1 after rain washes out quarter-finals
The Asian Games semifinal line-up in men’s cricket is now complete, and India have been handed a familiar opponent for the last-four clash. Shreyas Iyer’s India will face Sri Lanka in the second semi-final of the Asian Games 2026 men’s T20 cricket competition on October 1 in Nisshin, Japan.
The fixture was confirmed after Sri Lanka’s quarter-final against Nepal was abandoned without a ball being bowled on September 29 because of persistent rain. Since Sri Lanka entered the knockout stage as the higher-seeded team, it advanced to the semi-finals.
India had reached the semi-finals a day earlier under a similar rule. The defending champions were scheduled to play Afghanistan in their quarter-final on September 28, but heavy rain and an unplayable outfield prevented the match from taking place. India progressed because of their higher seeding.
That means India will finally get an opportunity to play competitive cricket at the 2026 Asian Games after their opening knockout match was washed out.
India vs Sri Lanka semifinal: date, time and venue
The second Asian Games semifinal between India and Sri Lanka will be played on October 1, 2026.
| Match | Date | Time in India | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd semifinal | October 1, 2026 | 10:00 AM IST | Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, Japan |
The cricket competition is being staged at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, with the cricket ground located within the park on the outskirts of Nagoya.
The other semi-final will see Pakistan take on Bangladesh on the same day. Bangladesh also progressed after its quarter-final against Malaysia was abandoned because of rain.
The bronze-medal and gold-medal matches are scheduled for October 3.
Rain has completely changed the knockout stage
Rain has been the biggest storyline of the men’s cricket competition so far.
The first two quarter-finals on September 28 — Pakistan vs Hong Kong, China and India vs Afghanistan — were both abandoned. India and Pakistan, as the higher-seeded teams, advanced to the semi-finals without playing a ball. The International Cricket Council confirmed the qualification process following the washouts.
The same problem continued on September 29.
Sri Lanka were due to play Nepal, while Bangladesh were scheduled to meet Malaysia. Both matches were again abandoned because of the weather, meaning Sri Lanka and Bangladesh moved into the final four as the higher-seeded teams. Reuters reported that persistent rain at Korogi Sports Park forced both quarter-finals to be cancelled without a ball being bowled.
As a result, none of the four men’s cricket quarter-finals could produce an on-field result.
This has created an unusual situation for India. The team entered the tournament as defending champions and went straight into the quarter-final stage, but the weather has meant the side has still not played a match before the semi-final.
India are defending Asian Games champions
India will enter the semi-final as the defending men’s cricket champions.
At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, India won the men’s T20 cricket gold medal after the final against Afghanistan was abandoned because of rain. India were awarded the gold based on their higher ranking.
Afghanistan took silver, while Bangladesh secured the bronze medal.
The 2026 Indian squad is being led by Shreyas Iyer, with the team featuring a number of players looking to make an impact in the shorter format. India had received direct entry into the quarter-finals along with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh because of their ranking status.
The direct qualification gave the top-ranked teams a significant advantage before the tournament even reached the knockout stage.
Sri Lanka reach semi-final without playing their quarter-final
Sri Lanka’s route to the semi-final has also been unusual.
They were scheduled to face Nepal on September 29, but rain prevented the match from starting. According to reports, Sri Lanka progressed because they had the higher ICC T20I ranking and were therefore the higher-seeded side.
Sri Lanka now have a chance to challenge India for a place in the gold-medal match.
The biggest question, however, is how both teams will handle the lack of competitive match practice. India have not played since entering the knockout stage, while Sri Lanka also progressed without taking the field in their quarter-final.
That could make the opening overs particularly important when the two teams finally meet.
Pakistan vs Bangladesh completes the other semi-final
The other side of the draw will feature Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Pakistan advanced after their quarter-final against Hong Kong, China was abandoned on September 28. Bangladesh then joined them in the semi-finals after their match against Malaysia was also washed out.
Bangladesh will enter the semi-final without Najmul Hossain Shanto, who has been ruled out of the Asian Games campaign after being diagnosed with an infection following a persistent fever. The ICC confirmed that Shanto would return home.
That absence could be an important team-selection development heading into the knockout match.
India vs Sri Lanka could decide the gold-medal race
For India, the immediate target is simple: win the semi-final and reach the gold-medal match.
However, the circumstances surrounding the tournament have made this Asian Games campaign different from a normal T20 competition. India have qualified for the semi-finals without playing a match, and Sri Lanka have done the same.
The first real contest for both sides will therefore come with a place in the final at stake.
India’s status as defending champions adds another layer of interest, but Sri Lanka will have their own ambitions after progressing into the last four.
With the semi-final scheduled for October 1, cricket fans will finally get to see the Indian men’s team in action at the 2026 Asian Games.
The weather will once again be worth watching, though. After four consecutive men’s quarter-finals were abandoned, conditions at the Nisshin venue could have a major bearing on whether the knockout stage finally produces some cricket.
For now, the confirmed line-up is India vs Sri Lanka and Pakistan vs Bangladesh, with both semi-finals scheduled for October 1 and the medal matches set for October 3.
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