Asian Games 2026: All four quarterfinals of the men's cricket tournament at the Asian Games were washed out due to rain. Now, if the final is also washed out, who will win the gold medal?

Indian cricket team

The rules of cricket at the Asian Games have become a topic of debate. Rain washed out not just one or two, but all four quarterfinal matches. Consequently, the higher-ranked teams—India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh—have qualified for the semifinals without even playing. This appears to be a violation of ethical principles, as Afghanistan, Nepal, Malaysia, and Hong Kong had qualified for the quarterfinals after overcoming challenges in the group stage, but were denied the opportunity to stake their claim for a spot in the semifinals.

On September 28th, the toss was cancelled due to rain in the India vs. Afghanistan and Pakistan vs. Hong Kong matches. Similar events occurred on September 29th, when not a single ball was bowled in the Sri Lanka vs. Nepal and Bangladesh vs. Malaysia matches. This has raised questions about which team will win the gold medal if it rains in the gold medal match.

If it rains in the final, who will get the gold?

The gold and bronze medal matches of the men's cricket tournament will be played on October 3. There is no rule to declare the higher-ranked team the winner in the final. If the final match is also washed out due to rain, both teams will receive the gold medal.

This rule wasn't in place previously, as Team India was declared the winner based on their higher rankings when the 2022 Asian Games final was cancelled due to rain. However, the rule has now been changed. Instead of awarding the gold medal to just one team, both teams will be awarded gold medals in the event of rain.

What is the minimum number of overs required for a result?

According to current rules, a match will only be considered official if both teams have played at least five overs each, or it will be abandoned. If rain intervenes after five overs have been played, the DLS (Duckworth-Lewis) method will be used. In that case, only one team will be awarded the gold medal.

semi-final schedule

Both semi-final matches of the Asian Games will be played on October 1st. Pakistan will face Bangladesh in the first quarter-final, while India will face Sri Lanka in the second semi-final. Both matches will be played at the Korogi Sports Park, the same ground where all cricket matches have been played in the Asian Games.

1 October – First semi-final – Pakistan vs Bangladesh

1 October - 2nd Semi-Final - India vs Sri Lanka