Nagoya, Sept 30:
India will face Sri Lanka in the men’s cricket semi-final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after rain washed out both quarter-finals involving Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The higher-ranked teams advanced after the matches against Nepal and Malaysia were abandoned without a ball being bowled.
India, the defending champions, received a direct entry into the quarter-finals and now find themselves one win away from a place in the gold-medal match. Sri Lanka advanced after persistent rain prevented its quarter-final against Nepal from taking place.
The semi-final is scheduled for Thursday, with organisers working to improve the playing conditions after repeated rain disruptions at the cricket venue. Bangladesh will meet Pakistan in the other semi-final.
The weather remains a key factor as the tournament enters its decisive stage, with the Indian team looking to retain the gold medal it won at the previous Asian Games.