Rain Blocks Asian Games Cricket... Semifinalists Decided by Rankings [Nagoya Asian Games]

[Financial News] All men's cricket matches at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya were canceled because of continued rain, leaving the four semifinalists to be decided without a match being played.
All four men's quarterfinals scheduled for the 28th and 29th at a cricket venue converted from Korogi Sports Park Baseball Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, were canceled because of rain.
No reserve days were set aside for the tournament. As a result, a rule was applied under which the higher-ranked team advances to the next round if a match is canceled.
India and Pakistan advanced to the semifinals on the 28th. The same rule was applied on the 29th, sending Sri Lanka and Bangladesh through to the semifinals over Nepal and Malaysia, respectively, without a match being played.
As a result, India will face Sri Lanka, while Pakistan will meet Bangladesh in the semifinals scheduled for the 1st of next month.
Disappointment was voiced by teams that finished the tournament without playing a single match. Malaysia's Birandeep Singh said on social media, "I was so sad that I waited around with only a towel on and could not even make it to the stadium."
Aakash Chopra, a former India international and cricket commentator, also pointed to the need to improve the scheduling and tournament operations. "It is disappointing that the advancing teams are decided solely by rankings without playing a match," he said.
The final could also be affected by rain. If the final scheduled for October 3 cannot be held, both teams will be awarded joint gold medals.
This is not the first time rain has determined the outcome of a cricket match. At the 2022 Asian Games, the men's cricket final was halted by rain and could not resume, allowing higher-ranked India to win the gold medal over Afghanistan.

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