Rain Settles Asian Games Cricket Knockout Draw As Group Matches Abandoned

The men’s cricket quarter-final match-ups for the 2026 Asian Games were confirmed on Saturday after rain forced the abandonment of the Malaysia-Oman Group B encounter at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.

The umpires called off the fixture without a toss, after weather had also stopped the earlier Nepal-Japan match at the ground.

Malaysia finished first in Group B, collecting three points from two matches and recording a net run rate of 2.950.

Hong Kong, China advanced in second place with two points from two games, while Oman ended third and missed out on qualification.

Hong Kong, China are scheduled to meet Pakistan in the opening quarter-final on Monday at 5:30 AM IST. Malaysia will take on Bangladesh in the fourth quarter-final, which is set for Tuesday at 10 AM IST.

Nepal and Afghanistan progressed from Group A after rain interrupted Nepal’s fixture against Japan. Nepal had scored 149/4 in 15 overs before the match was abandoned. The side finished top of the group with three points, ahead of Afghanistan, who earned two.

India, the defending champions, will face Afghanistan in the second quarter-final on Monday, with play due to start at 10 AM IST. Nepal’s quarter-final against Sri Lanka will be played on Tuesday, beginning at 5:30 AM IST.

The semi-final line-up will be determined by the quarter-final outcomes. The first semi-final will feature the winners of Pakistan versus Hong Kong, China and Bangladesh versus Malaysia.

The other semi-final will bring together the winners of India versus Afghanistan and Sri Lanka versus Nepal.

The two semi-finals are due to take place on October 1. The tournament’s medal matches are scheduled for October 3, as the qualified teams move into the knockout rounds.

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