Asian Games: India could advance if rain washes out Afghanistan QF

Rain threatens to disrupt the Asian Games cricket quarterfinal between India and Afghanistan in Nisshin on Monday. If the match is washed out, India will advance as winners based on their higher T20I ranking, while Pakistan could benefit similarly

Nisshin: Rain threat looms large over the Asian Games cricket quarterfinal between defending champions India and a second-string Afghanistan side at Korogi Sports Park here on Monday.

The match is scheduled to begin at 1:30 pm local time, or 10 am IST, but weather forecasts have raised doubts over whether the game will be completed.

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According to AccuWeather, there is a 97 per cent chance of precipitation in Nisshin on Monday. Pakistan will face Hong Kong, China in the first quarterfinal before India take on Afghanistan.

The Pakistan-Hong Kong, China match is scheduled to begin at 9 am local time, or 5:30 am IST. AccuWeather has forecast a 69 per cent chance of precipitation at 8 am local time, rising to 70 per cent at the scheduled start of the first quarterfinal.

The rain chances are forecast at 49 per cent at 10 am, 75 per cent at 11 am and 71 per cent at noon. They are expected to fall to 40 per cent at 1 pm, when the toss for the India-Afghanistan match is scheduled, before standing at 34 per cent at 2 pm and 40 per cent at 3 pm.

The precipitation probability is forecast to rise to 58 per cent at 4 pm, followed by 49 per cent at 5 pm, 60 per cent at 6 pm and 49 per cent at 7 pm local time.

If rain washes out the match, India and Pakistan will advance as the winners of the two quarterfinals by virtue of their higher T20I rankings.

According to the ICC rankings, India are No. 1 in T20Is, while Afghanistan are ranked 10th. Pakistan are sixth and Hong Kong, China are 24th.

A similar situation occurred at the 2023 Asian Games, when rain washed out the final between India and Afghanistan. India were awarded the gold medal based on their superior ranking.