NISSHIN, JAPAN — The Indian men’s cricket team booked its place in the semi-finals of the 2026 Asian Games without even stepping onto the field, after persistent rain forced the abandonment of their highly anticipated quarter-final clash against Afghanistan on Monday.

Heavy downpours and continuous grey skies over Nisshin left the outfield waterlogged and covers firmly in place, rendering any chance of play—even a curtailed fixture—impossible. With the weather refusing to relent, match officials officially called off the contest without a single ball being bowled.

As the defending champions and the top-ranked side holding a superior position in the ICC T20I rankings, Shreyas Iyer's men advanced to the final four under tournament knockout regulations. Afghanistan, positioned lower in the international standings, bowed out of the competition following the weather intervention.

The Men in Blue arrived at the continental multi-sport event carrying the tag of heavy favorites, featuring a formidable, near full-strength squad led by skipper Shreyas Iyer and deputy Tilak Varma, alongside stars like Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, and Abhishek Sharma. They will now turn their focus to the semi-final stage, where they are set to square off against the winner of the remaining quarter-final fixture between Sri Lanka and Nepal.

The washout mirrored similar weather frustrations earlier in the tournament schedule, where Pakistan also secured passage into the semi-finals following an abandoned encounter against Hong Kong, China, advancing via their superior seeding.

With a medal now just a step away, India continues its rigorous campaign to successfully defend the prestigious gold medal they clinched at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.