No India-Pakistan Clash in Semis.. Final Could Bring the Rivals Together!

According to the knockout draw for the men’s cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games, India and Pakistan cannot face each other in the semifinals. The two teams are placed in opposite halves of the bracket. Pakistan will meet the winner of the Sri Lanka-Nepal quarterfinal in the semifinal, while India will take on the winner of the Bangladesh-Malaysia quarterfinal. Therefore, the two sides can meet only in the gold-medal match if both reach the final, or in the bronze-medal match if both lose their respective semifinals.

Shreyas Iyer is leading the Indian men’s team, which is aiming for the gold medal at the tournament. India’s women’s team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, has already secured the gold medal after defeating Sri Lanka in the final. India and Pakistan have not previously faced each other in men’s cricket at the Asian Games. With the 2026 draw keeping the two teams apart in the semifinals as well, their next possible meeting will come only in the gold-medal or bronze-medal contest.