Asian Games 2026: The Indian women's cricket team defending champions and strong contenders for the gold medal has advanced to the semi-finals. In the fourth quarter-final match held on Friday at the Korobogi Sports Park in Nagoya, India handed a crushing 8-wicket defeat to the hosts, Japan.
India is now set to face Bangladesh in the semi-final on September 20. However, given the weather conditions in Japan, a major question arises: if the semi-final match is washed out by rain, which team will advance to the final?
If the match is called off, who plays the final?
According to the tournament rules, if this knockout match between India and Bangladesh is abandoned without a result due to heavy rain, the Indian team will automatically advance to the final. Under the tournament's official playing conditions, there is no reserve day allocated for the semi-final match.
If the match is completely washed out and not even the minimum required overs can be played, the team with the better ranking and higher seeding is declared the winner and advances. The Indian women's team is significantly ahead of Bangladesh in international T20 rankings and tournament seeding; therefore, Team India would reap the full benefit should the match be called off.
Bangladesh Reaches Semifinals Thanks to Seeding
Interestingly, the Bangladesh team also reached the semifinals based on this very rule. Bangladesh was scheduled to face China in the tournament's first quarterfinal match on Thursday, but the game was called off without a single ball being bowled due to persistent rain. Consequently, Bangladesh advanced directly to the semifinals by virtue of their superior seeding.
India's One-Sided Victory Over Japan
The Indian team put on a spectacular performance in the quarter-final. Batting first, the Japanese side tried to last the full 20 overs but was bowled out for just 57 runs in 19.5 overs against the Indian bowling attack. The Indian batters chased down the modest target of 58 runs in a whirlwind fashion, reaching the goal in just 5 overs for the loss of 2 wickets.
Now, the Indian team will take the field in the semi-final on September 20th, aiming to secure a spot in the final; however, even if the weather plays spoilsport, the rules are firmly in India's favor.
Also Read: Team India enters the semi-finals; wrapped up the match against Japan in just 30 balls
