By Jagjagran | 29 September 2026
India's men's cricket team is through to the semi-finals of the Asian Games 2026 — and their opponent is now confirmed. India will face Sri Lanka on 1 October, keeping alive the dream of an India-Pakistan final.
RAIN SENDS INDIA THROUGH
India's quarter-final against Afghanistan on 28 September was abandoned due to rain, 16 minutes before the scheduled toss. With no reserve day, India advanced as the higher-ranked side.
Today, Sri Lanka's quarter-final against Nepal was also washed out without a ball bowled, sending Sri Lanka into the semi-finals too.
THE SEMI-FINAL LINE-UP (1 OCTOBER)
→ Bangladesh vs Pakistan
→ India vs Sri Lanka
India, captained by Shreyas Iyer, are the defending champions and strong favourites.
INDIA-PAKISTAN FINAL POSSIBLE
If both India and Pakistan win their semi-finals, they would clash in the gold-medal match on 3 October — a blockbuster prospect. But nothing is confirmed yet.
There's an interesting rain rule: if the remaining matches are washed out too, India, as the top-ranked team, could take gold without playing — exactly how they won at Hangzhou 2023.
INDIA'S MEDAL TALLY: 46
India now have 46 medals — 4 gold, 21 silver, and 21 bronze — placing them 12th in the table, led by China. Athletics has produced 19 of India's medals.
Today's highlights (Day 10):
→ Neeru Dhanda, Aashima Ahlawat and Manisha Keer won silver in the women's trap team event
→ Neeru also qualified for the individual trap final in top spot
→ Archer Neeraj Chauhan stunned three-time Olympic champion Kim Je-deok of South Korea 6-4
Earlier standout moments at these Games included Anahat Singh's historic squash singles silver and Vithya Ramraj breaking a 42-year-old national record in the 400m hurdles.
THE BOTTOM LINE
India are two wins away from another cricket gold, and one step closer to a dream India-Pakistan final. All eyes now turn to 1 October — and a semi-final showdown with Sri Lanka.
Sources: ESPNcricinfo, Olympics.com, The Tribune, Deccan Herald, Business Standard.
Comments
Post a Comment