Asian Games 2026: Why India Directly Qualified for Semi-Finals Despite Afghanistan Match Washout?
India made their way into the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket semi-finals after their quarter-final against Afghanistan was washed out. Check out the reason behind devlopment and schedule ahead.
The Quarter-Final 2 of the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket tournament between India and Afghanistan was washed out without a ball being bowled on Monday, September 28. This edition of the tournament has been badly affected by several weather-related disruptions in Aichi-Nagoya.
With cricket not being possible in such conditions, several matches have been called off, with some teams automatically qualifying for the next round while others have been eliminated without playing a single match.
In this article, we will explore the reason behind India’s direct qualification for the semi-finals despite the washout.
🚨 Match Abandoned 🚨
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 28, 2026
The #INDvAFG Asian Games 2026 Quarter-Final has been called off due to rain. #TeamIndia advance to the semi-final by virtue of higher seeding. #AsianGames
Asian Games 2026: Why India Qualified Over Afghanistan in Semi Finals?
Rain-related disruptions have been a frequent occurrence in the history of cricket. As per the standard ICC rules, if a knockout match in a tournament is washed out without a result, the higher ranked (or seeded team) automatically qualifies for the next round.
India being the No. 1 ranked side and Afghanistan 10th, the former automatically qualified for the semi-finals.
In general, ICC events have reserve days for knockout matches to ensure that a result can be produced despite adverse weather conditions. However, due to logistical issues and time constraints at the Asian Games 2026, reserve days are not available for these matches.
As a result, teams are directly advancing to the next round based on their ranking or seeding when matches are abandoned.
Meanwhile, the Quarter-Final 1 between Pakistan and Hong Kong was also washed out at the toss. Both matches were scheduled to be played at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.
Asian Games 2026: Men's Cricket Results & Schedule
| Date | Match / Round | Venue | Teams & Scores | Result |
| Thu, Sep 24, 2026 | 1st Match, Group A | Nisshin, Korogi Sports Park | Afghanistan: 129-6 (20) Japan: 81 (19.3) | Afghanistan won by 48 runs |
| Thu, Sep 24, 2026 | 2nd Match, Group B | Nisshin, Korogi Sports Park | Hong Kong, China: 81-9 (20) Malaysia: 84-2 (12) | Malaysia won by 8 wickets |
| Fri, Sep 25, 2026 | 3rd Match, Group B | Nisshin, Korogi Sports Park | Hong Kong, China: 121-8 (20) Oman: 80-6 (20) | Hong Kong, China won by 41 runs |
| Fri, Sep 25, 2026 | 4th Match, Group A | Nisshin, Korogi Sports Park | Afghanistan: 102-7 (20) Nepal: 103-5 (17.2) | Nepal won by 5 wickets |
| Sat, Sep 26, 2026 | 5th Match, Group A | Nisshin, Korogi Sports Park | Nepal: 149-4 (15) Japan: — | No result due to rain |
| Sat, Sep 26, 2026 | 6th Match, Group B | Nisshin, Korogi Sports Park | Malaysia vs Oman | Match abandoned due to rain (No toss) |
| Mon, Sep 28, 2026 | 1st Quarter-Final | Nisshin, Korogi Sports Park | Pakistan vs Hong Kong, China | Match abandoned due to rain (No toss) (Pakistan advanced on higher seed) |
| Mon, Sep 28, 2026 | 2nd Quarter-Final | Nisshin, Korogi Sports Park | India vs Afghanistan | Match abandoned without toss (India advanced on higher seed) |
| Tue, Sep 29, 2026 | 3rd Quarter-Final | Nisshin, Korogi Sports Park | Sri Lanka vs Nepal | Upcoming (5:30 AM / 9:00 AM Local) |
| Tue, Sep 29, 2026 | 4th Quarter-Final | Nisshin, Korogi Sports Park | Bangladesh vs Malaysia | Upcoming (10:00 AM / 1:30 PM Local) |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 1st Semi-Final | Nisshin, Korogi Sports Park | Pakistan vs TBC | 5:30 AM / 9:00 AM Local) |
| Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | 2nd Semi-Final | Nisshin, Korogi Sports Park | India vs TBC | 10:00 AM / 1:30 PM Local) |
| Sat, Oct 3, 2026 | Bronze Medal Match | Nisshin, Korogi Sports Park | TBC vs TBC | 5:30 AM / 9:00 AM Local) |
| Sat, Oct 3, 2026 | Gold Medal Final | Nisshin, Korogi Sports Park | TBC vs TBC | 10:00 AM / 1:30 PM Local) |
Now, it will be interesting to see whether the weather related disruptions reduce in the coming days. If not, India will move further ahead in the competition and being the highest-ranked team, they will claim the gold medal in the event.
Stay updated in real-time!
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Varun Verma is an education and sports journalist with over three years of experience in journalism, with a strong focus on cricket . He has previously worked with SportsYaari and CricketTimes.com, where he developed a strong news sense and a knack for storytelling while covering breaking news and major sporting events.
He holds a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi. Beyond sports, his interests include geopolitics, Indian polity and government policies. Inspired by the grit and passion of Ben Stokes, he strives to bring the same depth in his life.
For inquiries or professional insights, you can reach him directly at varun.verma@jagrannewmedia.com
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