Pakistan, Bangladesh eye Asian Games final after rain-marred quarters

Pakistan, Bangladesh Eye Asian Games Final After Rain-Marred Quarters

The men’s cricket event at this year’s Asian Games has been a damp affair, with all four quarterfinals abandoned without a single delivery bowled. Pakistan and Bangladesh, who secured direct entry to the knockouts, have advanced to the semifinals over Nepal and Malaysia respectively by virtue of superior ICC rankings.

Squad News

• Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan leads a team of seasoned T20 professionals, combining familiar names like Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Haider Ali, Usman Khan, and Mohammad Wasim Jr with promising youngsters like Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood, and Ali Raza. No injuries are reported.
• Bangladesh: Litton Das returns to the helm after recovering from injury with a full-strength squad. Najmul Hossain Shanto, who last played a T20I for Bangladesh over a year ago, is a notable addition. No injuries are reported.

Head-to-Head & Context

Pakistan have had the upper hand, winning 11 of their last 14 T20Is against Bangladesh since 2021. However, Bangladesh sees an opportunity against a new-look Pakistani side entering the tournament amidst considerable uncertainty within Pakistan cricket following the drama surrounding their recent England tour. For Pakistan, this match is a chance to shift focus back to cricket and secure an Asian Games medal—a feat they missed in the 2023 edition in Hangzhou after losing to Bangladesh in the bronze-medal game.

Match Details

• When: October 1, 2026, 9:00 AM Local (12:00 AM GMT / 5:30 AM IST)
• Where: Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin
• Conditions: Group-stage games suggest a slow surface favoring spin. Several days of rain could make the pitch even slower and the outfield sluggish. The forecast is encouraging with only a 10% chance of rain on match day. Should the game be rained out, Pakistan will advance to the final.

Probable XIs

• Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan (C), Maaz Sadaqat, Saim Ayub, Haider Ali, Usman Khan (WK), Abdul Samad, Saad Masood/Arafat Minhas, Sufyan Moqim, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Ali Raza/Akif Javed, Abrar Ahmed
• Bangladesh: Saif Hasan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Litton Das (C & WK), Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Yasir Ali, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud