🏏Asian Games 2026: 2nd Semi-Final: India vs Sri Lanka on 01/10/26🏏- Page 2

“There are no reserve days scheduled for the men’s cricket final,” the organising committee said in a statement to The Indian Express. “If the final is cancelled, both finalist teams will be awarded gold medals. If the bronze medal match is cancelled, both teams competing for third place will be awarded bronze medals.”

Cricket in the Asian Games has been an inconsistent affair, with all four quarter-finals being washed out. It meant that the four favourites - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - moved into the semis without breaking a sweat. But the weather has improved over the past two days and we're set for the semi-finals. The first semi-final featured Pakistan against Bangladesh, and now we're getting ready for the India-Sri Lanka clash. On paper, this should be a straightforward win for India, but cricket isn't played on paper. Sri Lanka named a largely second string squad, as their main team was in England. They are up against the odds facing a power-packed Indian line-up. The conditions though could play a big role in determining the eventual winner. The pitches here at the Korogi Sports Park tended to be on the slower side during the league phase, but rain over the last few days means they could prove unpredictable.

Team News: Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for the one-off T20I against Japan (India's only competitive fixture since arriving in Japan), should be back and will most likely replace Yash Thakur. Plenty of unknowns in the Sri Lankan camp, but with most of the players having international experience, they'll back themselves to upset the odds.

Sri Lanka have won the toss and have opted to field

In the earlier semi-final, Pakistan got the better of Bangladesh by six wickets in a rcontest reduced to 13 overs and will now compete for the gold medal against the winner of this fixture between India and Sri Lanka. The losing team will face Bangladesh in the bronze-medal match. It’s blue skies in Nisshin, Japan, right now, so we should expect a full 20-over game.

India (Playing XI): Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah

Vaibhav is playing. Where is everyone?

Sanju Samson: [Focusing on the gold medal?] We will try our maximum. Whatever we can do, we will try our maximum. [On how India have gone from strength to strength in cricket] I think it's all over the internet. It's a known fact nowadays how strong Indian cricket has grown over the last so many years. So I think there has been some constant effort. Definitely IPL plays a huge role, but I feel our domestic cricket is also playing a huge role actually. We have been constantly making great efforts to go out and play all the domestic matches whenever we get a chance, and that's where we tend to develop a lot of talents also. So our grooming teams are really nicely placed - actually the Mushtaq Ali, the Vijay Hazare, the Ranji Trophy. The Under-19 (teams) are traveling abroad every season. A great amount of cricketers are coming from (there). So which is a great thing for our country, and we will keep doing our best.

Sri Lanka have won the toss and have opted to field

ICYMI: In the earlier semi-final, Pakistan got the better of Bangladesh by six wickets in a rcontest reduced to 13 overs and will now compete for the gold medal against the winner of this fixture between India and Sri Lanka. The losing team will face Bangladesh in the bronze-medal match. It’s blue skies in Nisshin, Japan, right now, so we should expect a full 20-over game.

Team News: Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for the one-off T20I against Japan (India's only competitive fixture since arriving in Japan), should be back and will most likely replace Yash Thakur. Plenty of unknowns in the Sri Lankan camp, but with most of the players having international experience, they'll back themselves to upset the odds.

Time for the national anthems, Sri Lanka's followed by India's.

Sri Lanka XI: Lasith Croospulle, Sineth Jayawardene, Sohan de Livera (wk), Ashen Bandara, Sahan Arachchige (c), Nuwanidu Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanuja Sahan, Tharindu Rathnayake, Binura Fernando, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth

Tharindu Ratnayake to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, FOUR, to deep extra cover

0.5

India--6/0 after the first over.

Sahan Arachchige to Abhishek Sharma, SIX, to long-off

India--12/0