India's quarterfinal match against Afghanistan at the Asian Games was abandoned due to rain.
The 2026 Asian Games men's cricket quarterfinal between India and Afghanistan on Monday (September 28) was abandoned without a single ball bowled or even a toss due to relentless rain at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan.
As per the tournament's knockout rules for a complete washout, the Shreyas Iyer-led Indian team advanced directly to the semi-finals by virtue of being the higher-ranked side.
Following the washout, India leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi detailed the team's travel from Tokyo to Nagoya via Japan’s iconic bullet train. He enthusiastically noted covering 400 kilometres in 1 hour and 13 minutes.
“It’s been good. We hadn’t come here before, so it’s been a good experience so far. Hopefully, in the upcoming games, we get the opportunity to play some good cricket and show our game to the people here in Japan,” Bishnoi said.
Sharing his first experience of travelling on the bullet train, Bishnoi added, “It was 100 percent very fast. It was a great experience. We covered 400 kilometres in one hour and 13 minutes, so what could be better than that? You get to travel so quickly.”
The cricketer also opened up on the life in the Games Village alongside athletes from other sports, and the unique feeling of representing India as a nation rather than under the banner of the BCCI.
“Absolutely. I had a similar experience last time in China, in Hangzhou, where I played. The Asian Games are definitely a different experience from the other series and World Cups. You get to see different sports and experience them as well. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to do that so far because we're staying a little away from the village. But we’ll try today, as we have tomorrow off, and explore some other sports as well,” he stated.
According to Bishnoi, winning a medal holds a unique emotional weight because you represent the entire nation of India alongside athletes from other disciplines, culminating in the rare honor of standing on a podium with a medal around your neck.
“Both are the same in terms of representing India. Whether you’re winning a trophy or a medal, it means the same. But here, you’re not representing the BCCI; you’re representing India. So there’s a different feeling when you get to stand on the podium. You don’t get many opportunities to stand on a podium, and here you get to do that with a medal around your neck. It’s a great feeling,” he remarked.
Commenting on the pitches in Japan, Bishoni said his focus is on what truly matters: executing his strengths and trusting that a fair contest between bat and ball will ultimately reward the side that reads and adapts to the conditions faster
“It looks like it could be a difficult wicket, but whatever we get, it should be a fair game for both teams,” Bishoni concluded.
India are scheduled to play their semi-final match on October 1 against the winner of the upcoming quarterfinal between Sri Lanka and Nepal. Under tournament regulations, if that match gets washed out as well, Sri Lanka will automatically advance due to a superior ICC ranking over Nepal.