Asian Games Cricket: What happens if the final gets washed out due to rain?

The men's cricket competition at the Asian Games was expected to generate significant buzz, but it has done anything but. The weather gods have been far from kind, with relentless rain at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin washing out all four quarterfinal fixtures. As a result, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh advanced to the semifinals as the higher-ranked teams in the tournament.

Both semifinals are scheduled to be played on September 30. Pakistan will take on Bangladesh in the first semifinal, which is set to begin at 9 AM local time, while India will face Sri Lanka in the second semifinal at 2 PM local time.

The two semifinals, along with the gold and bronze medal matches, will be held at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Saturday (October 3).

While weather conditions for the semifinals are expected to be better than they were during the quarterfinals, there remains a possibility of showers disrupting play. If rain forces either semifinal to be abandoned, the higher-ranked side in the ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings will automatically advance to the final.

India are the joint No. 1-ranked team in the ICC Men's T20I Rankings, alongside England, with 269 rating points, while their semifinal opponents Sri Lanka are placed ninth. Therefore, a washout would result in Sri Lanka's elimination and India progressing to the gold medal match.

Similarly, Pakistan hold a higher ranking than Bangladesh. Pakistan are sixth in the T20I rankings with 240 rating points, while Bangladesh are eighth with 224. Consequently, a washout would see Pakistan advance to the final, potentially setting up a gold-medal clash against India.

Asian Games Cricket: What happens if the final is washed out?

Unlike the final of the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where India were declared champions after their match against Afghanistan was washed out, the gold medal will be shared if the final of this edition is abandoned due to rain.