India suffered two early setbacks against Sri Lanka in the men’s cricket semi-final of the 2026 Asian Games at Korogi Sports Park on Thursday, with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson back in the pavilion. Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first, putting India’s top order under pressure in the knockout clash. The early wickets gave Sri Lanka an advantage with the new ball, but teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi remained positive at the crease and looked to keep India’s innings moving with an attacking approach. India entered the semi-final as the defending Asian Games champions and are seeking another appearance in the gold-medal match. The match is being played in Nisshin, where the tournament’s men’s cricket fixtures are being held.

India’s top order featured a combination of established international players and young talent, with Sooryavanshi’s presence attracting particular attention. The 15-year-old batter was named in India’s playing XI for the semi-final, making his Asian Games debut after being part of the squad for the tournament. His inclusion added another aggressive option to a batting line-up led by captain Shreyas Iyer. With India losing Abhishek and Samson early in the innings, Sooryavanshi’s ability to counter Sri Lanka’s bowling attack became an important part of the early phase of the chase for a competitive total. India’s squad also includes Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah.

Sri Lanka’s decision to bowl first came after winning the toss, giving its bowlers the opportunity to exploit the conditions at the start of the Indian innings. The island nation entered the semi-final with a relatively less experienced squad compared with India, with Sahan Arachchige leading the side and Niroshan Dickwella among the more experienced players. Sri Lanka’s squad also includes players such as Ashen Bandara, Lasith Croospulle, Nuwanidu Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushan Hemantha, Binura Fernando, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Nuwan Thushara. The match therefore presents India’s established T20 players with a Sri Lankan side looking to make the most of its opportunity in the knockout stage.

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The semi-final is particularly important because the winner will advance to the gold-medal match against Pakistan, which has already secured its place in the final. Pakistan defeated Bangladesh in the other men’s semi-final to book its spot in the title clash. The India-Sri Lanka winner will therefore face Pakistan for gold on Saturday, while the losing team will remain in contention for a bronze medal. India and Sri Lanka reached the semi-final without playing their scheduled quarter-finals after rain disrupted the knockout stage. India’s quarter-final against Afghanistan was abandoned, while Sri Lanka’s match against Nepal was also washed out. The teams progressed based on their higher ICC T20I rankings, allowing the seeded sides to move directly into the last four.

Weather had been a major concern ahead of the semi-final after persistent rain affected the Asian Games cricket schedule and caused all four men’s quarter-finals to be abandoned. However, forecasts for Thursday were considerably more encouraging, with clear and warm conditions expected around Nisshin. The improved weather allowed India and Sri Lanka to begin their semi-final as scheduled, although the earlier disruptions had already meant that neither team had a completed quarter-final under its belt. India had also been preparing for the unfamiliar Japanese conditions, with Sanju Samson acknowledging before the match that the environment was different from what the players were accustomed to.

As India’s innings progresses, the focus remains on how the middle order responds after the early dismissals and whether Sooryavanshi can provide the attacking impetus the team needs. Captain Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma are among the batting options available to India, while the team also has considerable all-round depth through Shivam Dube, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. For Sri Lanka, the early wickets have provided an opportunity to build pressure and restrict India’s scoring rate. With a place in the gold-medal match at stake, the semi-final has quickly become a test of India’s batting depth after the early blows. The winner will meet Pakistan in Saturday’s final, with India looking to maintain its position as the defending men’s cricket champion at the Asian Games.

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