Rain sends Pakistan, India into Asian Games Cricket semis

NAGOYA: Pakistan and India booked their places in the semi-finals of the Asian Games men’s cricket tournament on Monday after rain washed out both quarter-finals without a ball being bowled.

Pakistan’s scheduled clash against Hong Kong was abandoned at the time of the toss as persistent showers left large sections of the Nisshin ground covered and unfit for play.

As one of the four seeded teams, Pakistan progressed to the last four on the basis of its higher ICC ranking. Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka were the other seeded sides that received direct entry into the quarter-finals.

Pakistan will now face the winner of Tuesday’s quarter-final between Bangladesh and Malaysia in Thursday’s first semi-final.

Hong Kong had reached the quarter-finals after finishing second in Group B. They opened their campaign with an eight-wicket victory over Malaysia before suffering a 41-run defeat against Oman.

The abandoned encounter would have been only the third T20 meeting between Pakistan and Hong Kong. Pakistan won both previous meetings, defeating Hong Kong at the 2022 Asia Cup and again during the 2023 Asian Games.

India also progressed without taking the field after their quarter-final against Afghanistan was called off before the toss because of rain.

The higher-seeded Indians secured their semi-final berth, while Afghanistan’s campaign came to an end following another rain-affected meeting with India at the Asian Games.

India will face the winner of Tuesday’s second quarter-final between Nepal and Sri Lanka in Thursday’s second semi-final.

Sri Lanka, like Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, entered the knockout stage as a seeded team. If their quarter-final against Nepal is also abandoned, Sri Lanka would advance to the semi-finals because of their higher seeding.

Rain has already played a significant role in Afghanistan’s Asian Games history. At the 2023 Hangzhou Games, Afghanistan won the silver medal after their final against India was abandoned after 18.2 overs of the first innings.

With another weather disruption now reshaping the Nagoya tournament, Pakistan and India have moved into the final four without playing their quarter-finals.

The semi-finals on Thursday will therefore carry added importance, with both teams waiting to discover their opponents after Tuesday’s remaining quarter-finals.