Pakistan have reached the semi-finals of the men’s cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games after their quarter-final against Hong Kong was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of persistent rain.
The Shaheens progressed under tournament playing conditions because they were ranked higher than Hong Kong, while several other Pakistan athletes also remain in action across cricket, athletics, squash and volleyball.
The quarter-final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin was called off around the scheduled toss after incessant rain continued throughout the day. Large sections of the ground remained under covers as the wet conditions made play impossible.
Pakistan were one of four seeded teams — alongside India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — that qualified directly for the quarter-finals. Hong Kong reached the last eight after finishing second in Group B, having beaten Malaysia by eight wickets and lost to Oman by 41 runs.
Under the competition rules, the higher-ranked team advances if a quarter-final is washed out. Pakistan therefore moved into the last four on the basis of their superior ICC ranking.
The match would have been the third T20 meeting between Pakistan and Hong Kong. Pakistan had previously beaten Hong Kong in the 2022 Asia Cup and at the 2023 Asian Games.
Pakistan to face Bangladesh or Malaysia
Pakistan, led by Sahibzada Farhan, will face the winner of the fourth quarter-final between Bangladesh and Malaysia.
That match is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, weather permitting, while both semi-finals will be played on Thursday, October 1 at the same venue.
India also advanced to the semi-finals after their quarter-final against Afghanistan was abandoned because of rain. The result deprived spectators of the chance to watch India’s 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who topped the Indian Premier League T20 batting charts earlier this year.
Afghanistan’s Mohammad Akram expressed disappointment over the washout, saying his side had hoped to play India and believed its players were in good form.
“We would have been happy to play here with India,” Akram said, adding that Afghanistan had already played two matches at the venue and knew its conditions.
Four consecutive matches washed out
The difficult weather has severely disrupted the men’s T20 cricket competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with four successive matches abandoned.
The playing conditions stipulate that the higher-ranked team progresses if a match is washed out. Sri Lanka are scheduled to play Nepal in the third quarter-final, followed by Bangladesh against Malaysia.
If those matches are also abandoned, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh would advance because of their superior ICC T20 rankings.
The weather outlook for the remainder of the week remains concerning, with reports that Typhoon Surigae is moving towards Japan. The storm is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to Aichi and other parts of central Japan, potentially affecting the remaining Asian Games events.
If rain continues to prevent matches from being played, T20 rankings will remain the deciding factor.
At the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, India won the men’s T20 gold medal, while Afghanistan took silver after the final was washed out. If all the remaining matches at the 2026 Games are abandoned, India would retain the gold medal as the highest-ranked team in the competition.
Arshad Nadeem set for javelin final
Pakistan’s athletics campaign also has a major moment on Monday, with Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem set to compete in the javelin throw final.
The final is scheduled to begin at 4:15pm Pakistan Standard Time, with Nadeem aiming to add an Asian Games medal to his international achievements.
Pakistan make winning start in men’s squash
Pakistan also began its men’s squash team campaign with a convincing victory over the Philippines. Muhammad Irfan, Nasir Iqbal and Noor Zaman combined to defeat the Philippines 3-0, giving Pakistan a winning start in the team event.
The result provided an early boost to Pakistan’s squash campaign as the country continues its medal push at the Asian Games.
Women’s squash team suffer defeat
Pakistan’s women’s squash team, however, faced a setback in its opening contest. Mahwish Ali, Mahnoor and Sana Bahadur were defeated by Hong Kong in the women’s team event.
Pakistan also secured its second consecutive victory in volleyball by defeating Uzbekistan.
The win marked another positive result for Pakistan in the team events as the national contingent continues its campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
