'What is the point yaar?' - Aakash Chopra's brutal rant on Asian Games 2026 cricket washouts
The cricket analyst criticises the tournament's infrastructure after all four quarter-finals were abandoned due to rain in Nisshin.
India qualified for the semi-final of the Asian Games 2026 cricket tournament after their quarter-final clash against Afghanistan was abandoned due to rain on Monday, September 28. The washout was not an isolated incident. All four quarter-finals scheduled at the tournament were washed out due to rain and a wet outfield in Nisshin, with India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh all advancing to the final four without playing a single delivery.
India are scheduled to face Sri Lanka on Thursday, October 1, for a spot in the gold medal match. The tournament is being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, 2026, with cricket matches taking place at Kōrogi Sports Park in Nisshin. The venue was remodelled from a baseball ground, with groundworks completed in late March 2026, featuring a hybrid pitch square and hosting twelve nations competing in men's and women's formats from September 17 to October 3.
"Asian Games, I personally feel, is not ready. Asian Games is not at all ready for cricket. Especially when the matches are held in China, Japan, or other non-cricketing nations. It is not good at all. We saw that one match in Sano, which was just a 5-over-per-side game. I mean, it was not right. The pitch was not prepared well enough for international cricket. Now the matches in Nisshin, where there is a better hybrid pitch and all of that, even if there is a little bit of rain, they can't dry it, and the match does not happen. There is no provision for drying at all. There are no super soppers or covers in place," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
"If this is how it is going to be, then let's be very honest. What is the point yaar? We are closer to a medal, why? Because our ranking is better. If the next match is also washed out, we will qualify for the final because our ranking is better. If the final is washed out, our ranking is better, so we will get the gold. What is this? It cannot be like this. It is a very poor way of conducting the Asian Games," he added.
The other semi-final will be played between Pakistan and Bangladesh on Thursday at the same venue. The bronze and gold medal matches are scheduled to be held on Saturday.
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