Stories
Iyer Defies Rain, Ready for Asian Games Quarterfinal Against Afghanistan
- •India captain Shreyas Iyer asserts that torrential rain and limited practice will not be excuses for the team's performance in the Asian Games quarterfinal against Afghanistan.
- •Nagoya has experienced relentless rain, disrupting India's preparations, with their only recent match practice being a narrow two-run win against Japan in a rain-shortened five-over game.
- •Iyer emphasized that as professionals, the team must be prepared for any situation, adapting quickly to conditions despite the weather challenges.
- •Despite recently beating Afghanistan 3-0 in a T20I series, Iyer warns against underestimating them, highlighting that even Japan provided strong competition.
- •Iyer believes the team has maximized warm-up and practice opportunities despite the heavy rain, focusing on maintaining fitness and a strong mindset for every match.
Key Questions Answered
The quarterfinal match between India and Afghanistan is scheduled for September 28, 2026, and will be held at the Korogi Sports Park in Nishin, starting at 10:00 AM Indian Standard Time, with live broadcasting on the Sony Sports Network.
Relentless rain and torrential downpours have severely disrupted India's preparations, leading to limited practice and an awkward build-up in Nagoya. Their only recent match practice prior to the knockout stage was a rain-shortened, five-over-a-side contest against Japan at the Sano International Cricket Ground, which India narrowly won by two runs.
Under the tournament format, the top four-ranked teams in the Asian Games—specifically India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh—qualify directly for the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, other teams such as Afghanistan, Nepal, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Oman must battle through a preliminary qualification round to secure their spots in the quarterfinals.
