In a cruel twist of fate, hosts Japan were knocked out of the cricket event of the 2026 Asian Games after their final Group A clash with Nepal was abandoned due to rain. The latter topped their group after stunning a much higher-ranked Afghanistan in their opening fixture. After this washout against the hosts, Nepal finished the group stage with three points in their bag.
Japan, who had earlier lost to Afghanistan, ended with just one point thanks to this no-result. It was not enough for the home team to qualify for the final eight, with Afghanistan tipping them to the second spot in their group. From Group B, Malaysia and Hong Kong booked their spots in the quarterfinals.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have directly qualified for the quarters by virtue of their higher ICC ranking, and will meet Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Nepal and Malaysia, respectively in the final eight. India and Pakistan’s clashes with Afghanistan and Hong Kong, respectively, will take place on September 28, while the other fixtures will take place a day later. All matches will be played at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.
Asian Games Men’s quarter-finals line-up
Pakistan v Hong Kong – September 28
India v Afghanistan – September 28
Sri Lanka v Nepal – September 29
Bangladesh v Malaysia – September 29
