Afghanistan knocked out of Asian Games cricket after India quarter-final is abandoned
Afghanistan’s men’s cricket team has been knocked out of the Asian Games 2026 after its quarter-final against India was abandoned. The match in Nishi, Japan, did not even reach the toss because of heavy rain.
After several hours of waiting, officials declared the pitch unfit for play and called off the match. Under the rules for this stage, if a knockout game is abandoned, the team with the better standing in the T20I world rankings advances to the next round.
By that rule, India, who are ranked number one in the world, moved into the semi-finals. Afghanistan, ranked 10th in the world, was eliminated from the tournament.
Afghan players have expressed disappointment over the cancellation. Mohammad Akram Zazi said the team had been ready to compete against India and had even wanted the match to be played in a shortened format of a few overs, but the heavy rain and wet ground took away that opportunity.
Rain also affected other matches in this stage. The Pakistan-Hong Kong match was also abandoned, and Pakistan too secured a place in the semi-finals thanks to their better ranking.
In the next round, India will face the winner of the Sri Lanka-Nepal match in the semi-finals. The Asian Games is a continental multi-sport event, and cricket is held as part of the competition.
