Sri Lanka's men's cricket team advanced to the Asian Games semi-finals on Tuesday after their quarter-final against Nepal was abandoned without a ball bowled because of heavy rain in Nisshin, Japan.
Persistent rain inundated Kōrogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture, near Nagoya. Officials called off the match at approximately 8:20am local time, before a toss could take place.
Under Asian Games men's cricket tournament rules, the higher-ranked team advances when a knockout match cannot be played. Sri Lanka are ranked 9th in the ICC men's T20I rankings, above Nepal at 14th.
Sri Lanka therefore progress to the semi-finals, while Nepal are eliminated from the tournament.
Tuesday's washout was the third men's cricket quarter-final at these Games abandoned by weather without a ball bowled. Pakistan's quarter-final against Hong Kong and Afghanistan's against India were also called off.
India advanced from their washed-out quarter-final against Afghanistan on higher seeding on Monday, September 28.
Nagoya and Nisshin have experienced continuous heavy rain since Saturday, disrupting several Asian Games cricket matches.
Sri Lanka's Asian Games squad is captained by Sahan Arachchige and includes wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella, Ashen Bandara, Sohan de Livera, Binura Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Nuwan Thushara and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth.
Sri Lanka are seeking to return to the podium after missing a medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where India won gold, Afghanistan silver and Bangladesh bronze. Sri Lanka won bronze at the 2010 Games in Guangzhou and gold at the 2014 Games in Incheon.
Sri Lanka went into the quarter-final having lost their previous four T20Is.
The men's cricket competition runs from September 17 to October 3 at Kōrogi Sports Park. The semi-finals are scheduled for October 1, when Sri Lanka will meet India.