India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan progressed to the semi-finals by virtue of their higher rankings than their respective opponents. After the end of this game, India and Sri Lanka will face each other in the second semi-final. ( Live Scorecard ) Interestingly, neither team has played a match so far, as all four quarter-final matches in the tournament were washed out due to rain.
Pakistan vs Bangladesh LIVE Score, Asian Games 2026 Cricket Semi-Final: Pakistan and Bangladesh face each other in the first semi-final of the men’s cricket competition at the Asian Games 2026 today.
Bangladesh vs Pakistan LIVE Score: Interestingly, neither team has played a match so far, as all four quarter-final matches in the tournament were washed out due to rain.
It is completely understandable to feel eager for the match to begin, especially with such beautiful, bright sunshine lighting up the stadium. It can be quite puzzling to see a delay under clear skies, but these precautions are taken gently with the players’ safety in mind, as a damp outfield can easily cause slips or injuries. The dedicated ground staff are surely doing everything they can with their equipment to dry out the grass as quickly as possible. For now, it is just a brief moment of patience while we wait for the official update and look forward to the game safely getting underway. Spin showdown on a tricky surface – With thirty-five wickets already falling to slower bowlers here, Korogi Sports Park promises another gripping, low-scoring thriller. Since neither side has had game time on this turf yet, reading the conditions quickly will decide who advances, so settle in and get ready for a cracking T20 contest as the toss approaches. Fearless Pakistan chase the podium – Under new captain Sahibzada Farhan, a vibrant and fearless young Pakistan lineup is eager to break a sixteen-year Asian Games medal drought. Explosive top-order batter Saim Ayub and his teammates need to construct smart partnerships against the turning ball rather than swinging blindly, while mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed carries the burden of breaking stands through the middle overs. The first semi-final clash sees Bangladesh go up against Pakistan, with India taking on Sri Lanka in the other. Having gotten a bye to the quarter-final, none of the four teams has got on the park yet but will need to hit the ground running. Das leads the way – Alongside India, Bangladesh are one of two sides among the semi-finalists to have fielded a full-strength squad. Litton Das will be at the helm, and he provides his side with experience both behind the stumps and with the bat. Apart from Das, the onus with the bat will be on the likes of Tanzid Hasan, Yasir Ali and Towhid Hridoy, with Hridoy being Das’ deputy. A spin-heavy attack – There is a plethora of spin-bowling all-rounders in Mahedi Hasan, Saif Hassan and Mosaddek Hossain, while specialist options include Nasum Ahmed and Rishad Hossain, who, given how the conditions have been at Korogi Sports Park, will have a major role to play. Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, and Hasan Mahmud make up the pace attack, with Fizz and Shoriful providing the left-arm angle. A new-look batting unit – Unlike Bangladesh and India, Pakistan have gone in with a young and largely experimental squad, missing several first-choice names. Sahibzada Farhan leads the side instead, in what is his first assignment as captain in white-ball cricket, with Abdul Samad his deputy. Saim Ayub is the most recognisable name at the top of the order alongside Farhan, while Hasan Nawaz and Haider Ali add some power through the middle. Usman Khan takes the gloves and adds further depth to the batting lower down. The bowling test – With the ball, Abrar Ahmed is the one proven performer at the international level and will carry a heavy workload. The pace attack is largely untested at this level, with the likes of Akif Javed, Ahmed Daniyal, and Mohammad Wasim in their ranks. Ali Raza will be one to watch out for. Sufyan Moqim and Saad Masood round out the spin attack as the other spin options alongside Abrar. What to expect? With neither side having played here before, it will be about adapting to the conditions, and getting that right could go a long way towards winning the contest. Who are you backing to come out on top?
All four quarter-final fixtures were washed out due to Nisshin being battered by rain, but the weather is expected to improve from Thursday onwards, when the semi-finals are scheduled to take place. A major absentee will be Najmul Hossain Shanto, who has been ruled out of the Asian Games due to illness, denying him what was set to be his return to the T20I fold. UPDATE – 11.44 pm GMT – Toss is delayed for now. The business end – The men’s cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games has moved to the semi-final stage, with four teams left standing in a journey that began with 10. Another shot at gold – Bangladesh were the very first men’s cricket champions at the Asian Games, winning gold at the inaugural edition in Guangzhou back in 2010. They have not been able to repeat that feat since, settling for bronze at both the 2014 Incheon Games and the 2023 Hangzhou Games, where they lost out in the semi-finals on both occasions before winning the third-place match. A chance to end the wait – Pakistan’s best finish at the Asian Games came in the first edition, where they took bronze in Guangzhou back in 2010. They have missed out on the podium at both editions since, finishing without a medal in 2014 and 2023, which makes this tournament a chance to end a 16-year wait for an Asian Games medal. The right-arm speedster earned high praise from Ian Bishop during the 2024 U19 World Cup for a match-winning spell against Australia, and is in line for his senior international debut. Form (Last 5 completed T20Is, most recent first) – BAN – WWLLL | PAK – WLWLW. 35 wickets have gone to spin and 19 to pace, which could mean teams will lean heavily on their spinners. 129 is the highest score while batting first in the men’s competition, which is a stark contrast to the women’s competition, which was high-scoring.
