Asian Games Cricket: India vs Sri Lanka Semifinal Confirmed After Rain Washouts
India will face Sri Lanka in the Asian Games cricket semi-final after rain washed out all four quarter-finals, while Pakistan will take on Bangladesh.
India will face Sri Lanka in the men’s cricket semi-final at the Asian Games after all four quarter-finals were washed out because of persistent rain in Nagoya.
Sri Lanka advanced after their quarter-final against Nepal was abandoned without a toss. The island nation progressed because of its higher ICC T20I ranking, with Sri Lanka placed ninth and Nepal 14th.
India had already secured a semi-final spot after their quarter-final against Afghanistan was also abandoned due to rain. As the top-ranked T20I side, India advanced ahead of Afghanistan, who are ranked 10th.
Bangladesh joined the last four after their match against Malaysia was called off, while Pakistan advanced after their quarter-final against Hong Kong was abandoned. Pakistan will now meet Bangladesh in the other semi-final.
Both semi-finals are scheduled for Thursday, although the weather remains a major concern after repeated interruptions throughout the tournament.
India are yet to play a match in the competition. Shreyas Iyer is leading the team, while VVS Laxman is serving as coach in Gautam Gambhir’s absence. The squad includes experienced players such as Jasprit Bumrah and 15-year-old batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
India’s Ravi Bishnoi said the players were hoping to finally get an opportunity to take the field and showcase their cricket in Japan.
After so much rain, the Asian Games cricket tournament is currently less about chasing runs and more about chasing a dry pitch.
