India will face Afghanistan in the men’s cricket quarter-final at the 2026 Asian Games after the Nepal-Japan match was abandoned due to rain in Nisshin on Saturday.

The quarter-final will be played in Nisshin on September 28, with the washout confirming Nepal as the Pool A winners and Afghanistan as the second team to qualify for the knockout stage.

Nepal finish on top after rain ruins Japan’s chase

Nepal scored 149/4 in 15 overs after being asked to bat first, but Japan never got the chance to begin their chase as persistent rain brought the game to an early end.

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The result saw Nepal finish at the top of Pool A, while Afghanistan moved through as the second-placed team.

Nepal’s innings was given a big boost by Sundeep Jora and Lokesh Bam, who produced a strong finish after the side had struggled early on.

Jora stayed unbeaten on 57 off 32 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes. Bam was even more aggressive, smashing an unbeaten 52 from just 22 balls, including six sixes and a four.

Jora and Bam turn things around

Nepal were in a difficult position at 84/4 after 10 overs and needed quick runs in the final five overs.

Jora took charge of the innings before Bam joined him and launched a late attack. The pair added the runs Nepal needed to reach a competitive total of 149/4.

Earlier, Aasif Sheikh made 21 off 15 balls and shared a 55-run partnership with Jora for the second wicket.

Nepal also lost Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla and Gulsan Jha cheaply. However, Jora and Bam’s late hitting helped the team recover.

Japan were set to chase 150 from 15 overs, but rain returned before they could face a single delivery.

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India-Afghanistan quarter-final confirmed

The abandoned match settled the Pool A qualification picture and confirmed Afghanistan as India’s quarter-final opponents.

India will take on Afghanistan on September 28 for a place in the semi-finals of the men’s cricket competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Afghanistan will now look to keep their medal hopes alive after making it through a rain-affected group stage.

Japan, meanwhile, have been knocked out of the competition. The hosts had shown some promising signs, especially with the ball against Afghanistan, and had also faced India in a one-off T20I before the Asian Games.

However, their problems with the bat eventually proved costly.

India will now shift its focus to the knockout stage, with Afghanistan standing between them and a place in the Asian Games semi-finals.