Shreyas Iyer’s reigning ICC T20 world champions will take on Sri Lanka in the second semi-final of the men’s cricket at the Asian Games 2026 tomorrow (Thursday, October 1) at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin from 10:00 AM (IST) onwards.
India enter the contest as firm favourites, having brought a full-strength squad to Japan for their gold-medal defence.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have brought a second-string side to the Asian Games. Their 15-member squad is led by Sahan Arachchige and includes several players who were not part of the team that recently played England. Niroshan Dickwella, Chamika Karunaratne and Nuwan Thushara are among the more experienced names in the squad, but the team is considerably different from Sri Lanka’s recent T20I side.
India have not played a full match in the tournament yet. Their quarter-final against Afghanistan on September 28 was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of persistent rain. As the higher-ranked side, India progressed to the semi-final under the tournament rules.
Sri Lanka also advanced without playing their quarter-final after their match against Nepal was washed out.
That lack of match time is the biggest concern for India. The team has had to deal with poor weather and limited training opportunities since arriving in Japan. India also got a taste of the difficult conditions earlier when they faced Japan in a rain-hit five-over match.
Japan pushed India hard in that game before India secured a narrow two-run win, with Axar Patel defending eight runs in the final over.
The weather, however, is expected to be much better on Thursday. The Japan Meteorological Agency has forecast clear conditions with a 0% chance of precipitation, while temperatures are expected to remain between 20 and 31 degrees Celsius. That should give both teams a better chance of playing a full match.
Winning tomorrow’s match will take Shreyas Iyer, who was appointed as the new Indian T20 captain earlier this summer, to grab his first major honour with the national team by winning the Asian Games gold.
The side will be head coached by VVS Laxman with Gautam Gambhir busy with the men’s ODI team, which completed a series win against West Indies on September 30.
When and where to watch India vs Sri Lanka, Asian Games 2026 semi-final?
The India vs Sri Lanka, Asian Games 2026 quarter-final match will take place tomorrow (Thursday, October 1) at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin from 10:00AM (IST) onwards. Live streaming will be available on the Sony LIV app/website as well as the Sony Sports network on television screens.