Sri Lanka Advance to Asian Games Semi-Finals After Nepal Quarter-Final Washed Out

Nepal's campaign at the 2026 Asian Games men's cricket tournament came to an end on Tuesday after persistent rain forced their quarter-final against Sri Lanka to be abandoned without a ball being bowled.

The match was scheduled at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, but continued rainfall left the conditions unsuitable for play. With no result possible, Sri Lanka advanced to the semi-finals because of their higher seeding and ranking entering the knockout stage.

Sri Lanka will now face India in the second semi-final on October 1, while Nepal's impressive Asian Games campaign concludes at the quarter-final stage.

Rain Ends Nepal's Asian Games Campaign

There was considerable anticipation surrounding the quarter-final, particularly after Nepal's strong performance in the group stage.

However, the weather once again became the deciding factor in the men's cricket competition.

Heavy rain affected the playing conditions at Korogi Sports Park, and officials were ultimately unable to start the match. The quarter-final was therefore abandoned without a toss or a single delivery being bowled.

As Sri Lanka entered the knockout stage as one of the higher-seeded teams, the tournament regulations allowed them to progress when the quarter-final could not be completed.

For Nepal, it was a frustrating end to a promising campaign, particularly because the team did not get an opportunity to compete for a place in the semi-finals.

Nepal Had Started the Tournament Strongly

Nepal entered the quarter-final with confidence after producing an impressive performance in the group stage.

In their opening match against Afghanistan, Nepal secured a five-wicket victory. Their bowling attack restricted Afghanistan to 102/7, before Nepal successfully chased down the target with 16 deliveries remaining.

Kushal Bhurtel was one of the key contributors with the ball, taking four wickets for 21 runs.

Nepal subsequently reached the knockout stage unbeaten, setting up the quarter-final against Sri Lanka.

The team included several experienced names, including captain Dipendra Singh Airee, Rohit Kumar Paudel, Sompal Kami, Karan KC and Sandeep Lamichhane, alongside younger players.

Sri Lanka Move Into the Semi-Finals

Sri Lanka received a direct entry into the quarter-finals as one of the tournament's higher-seeded teams.

With the Nepal match washed out, they now move directly into the last four without having played a knockout match.

Their semi-final opponent will be India, with the match scheduled for October 1 at Korogi Sports Park. The tournament schedule lists the second semi-final for 1:30 p.m. local time in Japan.

India had also advanced to the semi-finals without playing their quarter-final. Their match against Afghanistan was abandoned because of rain, with India progressing under the higher-seeded-team rule. Pakistan similarly advanced after its quarter-final against Hong Kong, China was washed out.

Rain Continues to Disrupt the Asian Games Cricket Tournament

Weather has become one of the biggest stories of the men's cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games.

The quarter-finals have been heavily affected, with Pakistan vs Hong Kong and India vs Afghanistan both abandoned on September 28 before Sri Lanka vs Nepal suffered the same fate a day later.

The unusual sequence means several teams have progressed to the semi-finals without playing their quarter-final matches.

The tournament's official schedule lists the men's semi-finals for October 1, followed by the bronze-medal match and final on October 3.

Nepal vs Sri Lanka: Match Details

Match: Sri Lanka vs Nepal
Competition: 2026 Asian Games Men's Cricket
Stage: Quarter-final
Venue: Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, Japan
Date: September 29, 2026
Result: Match abandoned due to rain
Resulting advancement: Sri Lanka progressed based on the higher-seeding/ranking rule
Semi-final: Sri Lanka vs India, October 1

Nepal's Squad

Nepal entered the knockout stage with a strong squad featuring a mixture of experienced international players and emerging talent.

Nepal: Dipendra Singh Airee (c), Rohit Kumar Paudel, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Aarif Sheikh, Aasif Sheikh, Kushal Bhurtel, Lalit Rajbanshi, Gulsan Kumar Jha, Nandan Yadav, Lokesh Bam, Sundeep Jora, Sher Malla, Kushal Malla.

Sri Lanka's Squad

Sri Lanka: Sahan Arachchige (c), Ashen Bandara, Lasith Croospulle, Sohan de Livera, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Binura Fernando, Nuwanidu Fernando, Tharindu Ratnayake, Dushan Hemantha, Sineth Jayawardena, Chamika Karunaratne, Garuka Sanketh, Wanuja Sahan, Nuwan Thushara, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth.

What Comes Next?

Sri Lanka will now turn their attention toward their semi-final against India on October 1.

India are the defending men's Asian Games champions, having won gold at the previous edition in Hangzhou.

Nepal, meanwhile, will leave the competition after reaching the quarter-finals. Despite not getting the opportunity to play Sri Lanka, their unbeaten group-stage campaign and victory over Afghanistan provided several positive moments for Nepalese cricket.

For Nepal, the disappointment will be that their Asian Games journey ended because of weather rather than a result on the field.

Nepal's 2026 Asian Games cricket campaign has ended in frustrating circumstances after rain prevented their quarter-final against Sri Lanka from taking place.

With no play possible, Sri Lanka advanced under the tournament's higher-ranking rule and will meet India in the semi-final on October 1.

Nepal can nevertheless take encouragement from an unbeaten group-stage campaign and their convincing victory over Afghanistan. The result also highlights how heavily weather has influenced the men's cricket tournament in Japan, with multiple knockout matches already abandoned without a ball being bowled.