If Rain Washes Out Both Semi-Finals and Final, India and Pakistan Could Share the T20 Gold Medal: Know How
Nishin: India have won far fewer gold medals at the Japan Asian Games compared with the 2022 edition, and with the men’s cricket team now having a strong chance of winning the gold medal, there is a possibility that the arch-rival Pakistan could end up sharing the coveted top prize.
India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, won the women’s T20 gold medal a week ago. However, rain has disrupted almost every match in the men’s T20 tournament. The men’s T20 matches are being held in Nishin, Japan, where persistent rain has been causing problems for the cricketers. India’s quarter-final against Afghanistan could not be played because of rain and a wet outfield, and India advanced directly to the semi-finals by virtue of their higher seeding. Similarly, Pakistan progressed directly to the semi-finals after their quarter-final against Hong Kong was also washed out.
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The third quarter-final between Sri Lanka and Nepal on Tuesday was also abandoned due to rain, allowing Sri Lanka to enter the semi-finals directly. The same thing happened in the final quarter-final, with Bangladesh advancing to the semi-finals ahead of Malaysia because of their higher seeding. In short, all four semi-finalists have reached the last four without playing a single ball. Afghanistan, Nepal, Malaysia and Hong Kong, meanwhile, have been eliminated from the tournament after recording one win, one defeat and having one match washed out.
Semi-Final Line-Up
The first semi-final will be played between Pakistan and Bangladesh on Thursday, October 1, from 5:30 am IST. The second semi-final will take place on the same day from 10:30 am, with India facing Sri Lanka.
Asian games 2026 today Pakistan vs Hong Kong
— ABDUL WAHEED (@AWQURESHEE) September 28, 2026
The Asian Games 2026 men's cricket first quarter-final between Pakistan and Hong Kong, China on September 28, 2026, was abandoned without a ball bowled due to heavy rain in Nisshin, Japan. pic.twitter.com/U7lFD7GCUg
If both semi-finals are also washed out due to rain, the two higher-seeded teams will advance to the final. India and Pakistan are the highest-seeded teams, meaning they are set to meet in the final at Nishin on Saturday, October 3, from 10:30 am IST.
If, unfortunately, the final is also washed out because of rain, India and Pakistan will share the gold medal. In other words, both teams will be awarded gold medals.