India have qualified for the semi-finals of the 2026 Asian Games men’s T20 cricket tournament after their quarter-final clash against Afghanistan on Monday, September 28, was abandoned due to persistent rain in Nisshin, Japan. Seeding Rule Advantage: As world No. 1, India progressed directly to the semi-finals by virtue of their higher ICC T20I ranking over 10th-ranked Afghanistan. No Toss Played: Continuous heavy morning rain at the Korogi Sports Park prevented the toss from taking place. Despite a long wait, match officials called off the fixture as conditions remained unplayable. Second Washout of the Day: This was the second quarter-final of the day to be abandoned without a ball bowled; earlier, Pakistan similarly advanced to the semi-finals over Hong Kong via the same seeding rule. Defending Champions On Track: Defending champions India, captained by Shreyas Iyer, advanced without taking the field for their opening knockout fixture after receiving direct quarter-final entry as a top-seeded side. Semi-Final Fixture: India will now play their semi-final match on Thursday, October 1, facing the winner of the quarter-final between Sri Lanka and Nepal. Afghanistan have now ended a second successive Asian Games men's tournament with a washout against India. They took the silver medal in Hangzhou in 2023 after their final against higher-seeded India was washed out after 18.2 overs of the first innings.