NISSHIN: Pakistan will face Bangladesh in the semi-final of the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket competition on Thursday after persistent rain washed out all four quarter-finals without a ball being bowled.
The weather-hit quarter-finals saw Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh advance to the last four on the basis of their pre-tournament seedings.
Pakistan will take on Bangladesh in the first semi-final at 9am local time, while India will meet Sri Lanka in the second semi-final at 2pm. Both matches are scheduled to be played at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.
The winners will advance to Saturday’s gold-medal match, while the losing semi-finalists will compete for bronze at the same venue.
Although rain remains a possibility on Thursday, forecasts indicate improved conditions for the semi-finals.
Under the tournament playing conditions, a tied semi-final will be decided through a Super Over. However, if weather prevents a semi-final or the subsequent Super Over from being completed, the higher-seeded team will qualify for the final.
Pakistan and India are the higher-seeded teams in their respective semi-finals against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
If the gold-medal match is washed out and cannot be completed, the two finalists will share the gold medal.
The tournament has witnessed an unusual situation in which all four semi-finalists have reached the last four without playing a single ball because of weather-related cancellations.
Nepal, Afghanistan, Malaysia and Hong Kong, China, who qualified for the quarter-finals through the group stage, have meanwhile ended their campaigns. Each recorded one victory, one defeat and one abandoned match during the competition.
