India hope to shrug off any rain-induced rust in Sri Lanka semifinal
Teams have barely had any game time in Japan with all four quarterfinals washed out
The second semifinal of the men’s cricket event at this year’s Asian Games presents a lopsided match-up. India have assembled a full-strength T20I squad to defend their gold medal while Sri Lanka have dispatched a second string team. Neither side had to negotiate a quarterfinal, with both games washed out by rain and the higher-seeded teams advancing to the last four.
Sahan Arachchige, whose only T20I came as captain during Sri Lanka’s loss to Afghanistan during the 2023 edition of the Asian Games, has returned to lead a squad that bears resemblance to the one that competed in the previous Asiad. While they enter the contest undoubtedly as underdogs, they can draw inspiration from Japan, who came close to inflicting a serious upset against India at Sano recently.
India may be the reigning T20 champions but they underwent a tumultuous period after the World Cup, with Shreyas Iyer’s tenure as captain beginning with series losses to Ireland and England. They bounced back, however, with series sweeps over Zimbabwe and Afghanistan and will have their eyes firmly set on the gold medal once more.
India may have narrowly avoided the ignominy of defeat against an associate nation, but the game gave them something none of the other semifinalists have: match practice in Japan's unfamiliar conditions.
When: October 1, 2026, 1:30 PM Local, 4:30 AM GMT, 10:00 AM IST
Where: Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin
What to expect: The group-stage games suggest a slow surface at the Korogi Sports Park, with conditions likely to favour spin. Several days of rain could make the pitch even slower and the outfield sluggish. The forecast, however, is encouraging, with only a 10% chance of rain on match day. Should the game be rained out, India will advance to the final.
Team news
India: Jasprit Bumrah is expected to return after being rested for the game against Japan.
Probable XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah
Sri Lanka: No injuries to report.
Probable XI: Sahan Arachchige (c), Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Lasith Croospulle, Nuwanidu Fernando, Ashen Bandara, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushan Hemantha, Tharindu Ratnayake, Binura Fernando, Vijaykanth Viyaskanth, Nuwan Thushara
What they said:
"We have been doing some team activities. We were having constant meetings to switch on the players when it is required. So, these are the times where we need to be a bit more aware. We need to switch on and suddenly play a big semi-final. So, we all are aware of that." - Sanju Samson on the what India have been doing with all the rain in Nisshin
