Men’s cricket has had a strange journey in the Asian Games 2026 so far. As the tournament entered its penultimate stage, a Malaysian cricketer shared a funny yet heartbreaking post, narrating how his team’s 3-year preparation to play against a Test team was washed out. Though the names of the four semifinalists have been decided, the top four were decided without a single quarter-final being held. Matches involving India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were all washed out, prompting these four teams to progress purely on the basis of rankings.
Taking to social media, Malaysia’s Virandeep Singh , said how tough it is to be an Associate cricketer, as opportunities to play against top teams are rare. And when such opportunities get taken away, it becomes even more heartbreaking.
Not a ball has been bowled in Nisshin since Saturday, when Nepal had raced to 149 for 4 in 15 overs against the hosts Japan before rain washed the game out. Earlier on Tuesday, Sri Lanka’s last-eight fixture against Nepal was also abandoned without a toss due to rain. Malaysia were supposed to play against Bangladesh in their quarter-final match, but it was washed out without a ball being bowled. The Bangla Tigers then qualified for the semifinal, courtesy of superior rankings.
