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After Nepal washout: Lanka advances to Asian Games semis

Sri Lanka secured a place in the Asian Games Men's cricket semifinals on Tuesday (29), after heavy rain forced the abandonment of their quarterfinal match against Nepal in Aichi Nagoya, Japan, without a ball being bowled.

The match was called off at 08:20 local time after persistent rainfall inundated Kurogi Sports Park in Nisshin.

Under tournament regulations, Sri Lanka advanced due to their higher seeding, as they hold the ninth spot in the ICC T20I rankings compared to Nepal's 14th position.

The elimination ends a promising run for Nepal, who reached the final eight after winning Group A with a five-wicket victory over Afghanistan and a rain-shortened point share against Japan.

Sri Lanka, alongside India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, had received direct entry into the quarterfinal round based on their international standings.

Torrential weather has severely disrupted the cricket tournament at the 20th Asian Games. The washout follows similar cancellations on Monday, when scheduled quarterfinal fixtures between India and Afghanistan, as well as Pakistan and Hong Kong, were abandoned, allowing India and Pakistan to progress on superior rankings.

Sri Lanka now moves on to the semifinal round scheduled for Thursday, 1 October, where they will face India. The Men's cricket tournament will conclude with the gold and bronze medal matches on Saturday, 3 October.