The Asian Games organizing committee has announced that if the men’s cricket tournament final on Saturday is canceled due to rain, the gold medal will be awarded to both finalists. This decision differs from the previous event in Hangzhou, where India received the gold after their final against Afghanistan was called off because of inclement weather, based on their higher ranking.
The committee stated, “There are no reserve days planned for the men’s cricket final. In the event of cancellation, both finalist teams will receive gold medals. Similarly, if the bronze medal match is also canceled, both teams involved will be granted bronze medals.” This clarification follows disruptions in the men’s cricket competition in Nagoya, where no knockout matches have taken place so far. As the defending champions, India advanced to the semifinals after their quarterfinal against Afghanistan was washed out, progressing due to their superior ICC T20I ranking.
The weather forecast leading up to the medal matches is somewhat optimistic, with predictions for Nagoya indicating no rain through Saturday. India is set to compete against Sri Lanka in the semifinals on Thursday, while Pakistan will take on Bangladesh in the other semifinal match later that same day. The final is scheduled for October 3 at Korogi Sports Park.
There will be no reserve day for the bronze medal match, meaning both participating teams will be awarded bronze medals if it cannot be played. India has dispatched a strong team for the Asian Games, captained by Shreyas Iyer, and featuring prominent players like Jasprit Bumrah and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. However, the recent rain has hindered their ability to train or compete effectively.
On Monday, Washington Sundar was seen supporting long jumper Murali Sreeshankar at the athletics events, where Sreeshankar earned a silver medal. Additionally, the women’s cricket team recently secured a gold medal after defeating Sri Lanka.
Mihir Vasavda has had a distinguished 18-year career covering major sporting events, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Games in London 2012, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024, along with multiple Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, as well as Hockey World Cups and the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup.
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