A rule change for Asian Games 2026 means that if the men’s cricket final is washed out entirely, both finalists will receive gold medals rather than the gold going to the higher-seeded team alone. The final is scheduled for October 3 at Kōrogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, where cricket at these Games has been held from September 23.
Under the previous position applied at Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, a washed-out final resulted in the higher-seeded team winning gold and the other finalist receiving silver. That rule determined the outcome in 2023, when India were awarded gold and Afghanistan silver after the final was abandoned with Afghanistan on 112 for 5 in 18.2 overs and India never getting to bat.
For Asian Games 2026, the regulation has been updated so that a completely washed-out final produces two gold medallists. India, led by Shreyas Iyer, entered the tournament as the highest-seeded team and had already advanced to the semifinals after their quarterfinal against Afghanistan was washed out on September 28, 2026. Pakistan also advanced to the semifinals on the same day after their quarterfinal against Hong Kong, China was similarly abandoned.
What counts as a completed match under the current rules?
A match is considered complete only if both teams have faced a minimum of five overs each. If fewer than five overs are bowled per side, the result is declared no result and, in the context of the final, both teams are awarded gold medals under the 2026 regulation.
Once the team batting second has faced at least five overs, the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method applies to determine a winner if rain stops play before the scheduled conclusion. In that scenario, a result is possible and only one team wins gold. The dual gold outcome is therefore triggered only when the match does not reach the five-over threshold for both sides.
The seeding used to determine outcomes in earlier rounds, where a washed-out match advances the higher-ranked team, is based on ICC T20I rankings at the entry deadline for the tournament. India’s status as top seed meant they progressed automatically when their quarterfinal was washed out on September 28.
Unlike what happened in the 2023 final, the 2026 rule change removes the outcome for the final specifically. If an identical situation occurs in the October 3 final at Nisshin, both finalists will share gold rather than the higher seed taking the only gold medal. This change applies to the final only; earlier-round washouts continue to be resolved by seeding.
