Persistent rain in Nisshin forced the first men’s Asian Games 2026 quarter-final to be abandoned without a ball being bowled, sending Pakistan through to the semi-finals on their higher ICC ranking.
Pakistan have advanced to the semi-finals of the men’s cricket competition at the Asian Games 2026 after their quarter-final against Hong Kong was abandoned due to rain.
The match in Nisshin was called off without the toss taking place, with persistent showers preventing any possibility of play throughout the day.
Under the tournament’s playing conditions, Pakistan progressed because they were the higher-ranked side in the ICC rankings.
Rain Ends Hong Kong’s Knockout Run
Heavy rain continued throughout the day in Nisshin, with large areas of the playing surface remaining under covers.
With conditions showing no sign of improving, officials eventually abandoned the fixture without a ball being bowled.
The washout brought Hong Kong’s campaign to an end despite their progress through the group stage.
Pakistan, meanwhile, had entered the quarter-finals as one of the four seeded teams alongside India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Pakistan Set for Semi-Final
Pakistan will face the winner of the fourth quarter-final between Bangladesh and Malaysia in the semi-finals on Thursday.
Hong Kong had reached the last eight after finishing second in Group B. They began their campaign with an eight-wicket victory over Malaysia before losing to Oman by 41 runs.
Pakistan had not needed to play a preliminary group match because of their seeding.
Pakistan Hold Previous Advantage
The abandoned fixture would have been the third T20 international meeting between Pakistan and Hong Kong.
Pakistan won both of their previous encounters, defeating Hong Kong at the 2022 Asia Cup and again at the 2023 Asian Games.
However, there was no opportunity for another contest in Nisshin, as the rain ensured Pakistan progressed without facing a ball.
With the first quarter-final decided by the tournament’s ranking provision, Pakistan now await the result of Bangladesh versus Malaysia to discover their semi-final opponents.
