China’s women’s cricket team suffered a frustrating exit from the 2026 Asian Games after their quarter-final against Bangladesh was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to bad weather in Nisshin, Japan.
The opening quarter-final of the women’s T20I cricket event was scheduled at Kōrogi Sports Park, but persistent rain and inclement weather prevented any play. With no result possible, the Asian Games playing conditions came into effect, sending Bangladesh through to the semi-finals.
Under Rule 16.10.2 (b) of the Asian Games cricket Playing Conditions, if a quarter-final is washed out, the higher-ranked team advances to the next stage. Bangladesh therefore progressed despite never taking the field against China.
The rule had also been used during the 2023 Asian Games, when three of the four women’s quarter-finals involving India, Pakistan and Bangladesh were washed out.
For China, the result brought their third Asian Games cricket campaign to an abrupt end. They had made their previous appearances in 2010 and 2014, but were unable to extend their run in the tournament this time.
Bangladesh, led by Nigar Sultana, will now move into the semi-final stage. They are expected to face India, although Harmanpreet Kaur’s side first have to get past hosts Japan in their quarter-final in Nisshin.
The weather has already emerged as a major factor in the cricket competition, with all matches being played at the same venue. Pakistan are also scheduled to face Thailand at Kōrogi Sports Park in the second women’s quarter-final.
The women’s semi-finals are scheduled for Sunday, with the gold-medal match set for September 22.
India’s men’s team will also have a cricket assignment in Japan around the same time. Shreyas Iyer’s side is scheduled to play Japan in a T20I at the Sano International Cricket Ground on September 22, around 100 kilometres from Tokyo.
That match will form part of celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan. The two countries have also designated 2027 as the “India-Japan Year of Shared Horizons” to mark the milestone.
For China, however, the Asian Games cricket campaign ended before it could properly begin in the knockout stage. A washout, combined with the tournament’s ranking rule, decided their fate without a single delivery being bowled.
