Rain washout sends India into Asian Games semifinals

India advanced to the men’s cricket semifinals at the 2026 Asian Games after rain forced its quarterfinal against Afghanistan to be abandoned in Nisshin on September 28. No toss took place and no ball was bowled. Reports said India progressed under the tournament’s higher-ranking or seeding rule, while Afghanistan’s campaign ended. Persistent rain left conditions at the Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park unsuitable for play. The scheduled toss was delayed as officials waited for conditions to improve, but the match was ultimately called off without a result. India entered the knockout stage as the higher-ranked side, and reports said that status determined which team advanced when the quarterfinal could not be played. The washout means India reached the last four without playing its quarterfinal. The team is the defending men’s cricket champion, having won gold at the 2022 Asian Games. Afghanistan, which reached the quarterfinals after the preliminary stage, was eliminated without taking the field against India. India’s semifinal is scheduled for October 1, but reports gave conflicting accounts of its prospective opponent.