India and Pakistan have reached the semifinals of the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket tournament without facing a single ball in their quarterfinals. Both matches at the Korogi Sports Park in Aichi on Monday, September 28, were abandoned after persistent rain left the outfield unplayable.

India’s quarterfinal against Afghanistan was called off without even a toss, according to reports from the venue. Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s clash with Hong Kong met the same fate. Under tournament rules, the higher-ranked team progresses when a knockout match is washed out, so both sides advanced on the basis of their superior ICC T20I rankings.

Defending champions India had entered the knockout stage through direct seeding, while Afghanistan reached the quarterfinals after finishing second in Group A. Neither team will get a chance to settle the contest on the field.

Both India and Pakistan are now one win away from the gold-medal match, with the semifinals scheduled for October 1 — a rare case where rain, not runs, decided the last-four line-up.