'We just wanted to play' - Afghanistan's Zazai on Asian Games quarter-final abandonment

India and Pakistan advanced to the men’s semi-finals of the Asian Games 2026 without playing a single delivery, as persistent rain and wet conditions forced both quarter-finals in Nisshin to be abandoned on Monday, September 28.

Pakistan were the first team to progress after their quarter-final against Hong Kong was called off due to rain. They advanced to the semi-finals based on their higher T20I ranking under the tournament’s seeding rules.

India received similar news shortly afterwards. Their quarter-final against Afghanistan was also abandoned due to persistent rain and a wet outfield, with the match called off 16 minutes before the scheduled toss. As India were ranked higher than Afghanistan in the ICC T20I rankings as of July 23, 2026, they progressed to the semi-finals.

Nagoya has experienced steady rainfall over the past few days, while the lack of proper drainage and other infrastructure at the venue made it difficult for even a shortened contest to take place.

Mohammad Akram Zazai disappointed after Afghanistan's match was washed out

Afghanistan's Mohammad Akram Zazai expressed his disappointment after his side were denied the opportunity to take on India. He felt Afghanistan had arrived well prepared and were confident about putting up a strong challenge against the tournament favourites.

"We are here for the match but unfortunately it rained," Zazai was quoted as saying by Cricket News.

"The rain started yesterday, so hard luck for us. We would have been happy to play here with India - our players are in form."

Zazai also highlighted Afghanistan's familiarity with the conditions, having already played two matches at the same venue during the tournament. He felt that knowledge could have helped his side if the match had gone ahead.

"We (already) played two matches here on this ground, so we know the condition very well. But unfortunately the rain has ruined everything. We saw the rain on our mobile phones (this morning). Everyone was sad," he added.

Afghanistan wanted even a shortened contest

With the weather making a full match impossible, Zazai said Afghanistan would have been happy to play even a handful of overs. He believed a shortened game could still have allowed his team to compete against India.

"We would be happy if five or six overs were played on this ground (instead of the match being abandoned). Our team is so good, even in the short (limited-overs) format. We just wanted to play the match so that there was a chance," he concluded.