Asian Games 2026: India enter semi-final after washout against Afghan…

India's men's cricket team advanced to the semi-finals of the 2026 Asian Games after their quarter-final match against Afghanistan was abandoned due to heavy rain on Monday.

The persistent rain prevented the match from getting underway, with the abandonment sending India through to the last four. India will now face either Sri Lanka or Nepal in the semi-finals of the men's cricket competition.

The Indian men's team entered the knockout stage with a strong squad featuring several established international players. Shreyas Iyer is leading the side, with Tilak Varma serving as vice-captain. newsbetting.bond

The Indian squad features several established international players, with T20 captain Iyer leading the side. The team also includes Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur.

Former India cricketer VVS Laxman is serving as the stand-in head coach of the team for the Asian Games campaign.

India are aiming to retain the gold medal they won in the men's cricket competition at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. India were awarded the gold medal after their final against Afghanistan was washed out, with the higher-ranked side taking the title.

The women's Indian cricket team has already successfully defended its Asian Games title in Aichi-Nagoya. Harmanpreet Kaur-led India defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final to claim the gold medal.

The men's team will now await the outcome of the Sri Lanka-Nepal quarter-final to know their semi-final opponent as they continue their campaign for another Asian Games gold.

Earlier, arch-rivals Pakistan also qualified for the Asian Games semi-finals after a washout against Hong Kong. The Men in Green qualified based on being the higher-ranked team over Hong Kong

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.

After Neeraj Chopra’s injury opened the door to his Asian Games opportunity, the Indian athlete received a call from the star javelin thrower, who encouraged him to make the chance count. From motivating him before the competition to speaking ahead of his final throw, Chopra remained a source of support. Having worked extensively on his technique and fitness, the athlete now heads into the Asian Games dreaming of delivering his best performance.

New Delhi [India], September 28 (ANI): Indian rifle shooters Rudrankksh Patil and Tilotamma Sen expressed happiness at their medal wins at the Asian Games 2026, with the former making clear his next target: Qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Rudrankksh and Tilotamma were among the medal winners at the ongoing Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. With the shooting competition still ongoing, it has been one of the most successful sports for India at the competition so far, contributing 11 of 37 medals, including a gold, six silvers and four bronze medals.

Speaking to ANI, Rudrankksh said, “It is nice to see so many people around. The government supported my journey, along with my family. Shooting is one of the powerhouses for the country. The main goal is qualification for the Olympics next year. We wish all the best to everyone; hope you bring more golds (a message to the remaining contingent at the Asian Games)."

At the Asian Games, Rudrankksh captured a silver medal in men’s 10 m air rifle alongside Parth Mane and Himanshu Dhillon and in men’s 50 m rifle 3-position team event with Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Niraj Kumar. He also captured a bronze medal in the men’s 10 air rifle individual event, making him one of the most successful stars of this edition of the Asian Games.

Prior to this, Rudrankksh had captured a gold medal in the men’s 10 m air rifle team event back in the 2022 edition at Hangzhou.

Tilotamma also said to ANI that she is glad to have come back with a medal during her debut Asian Games and dedicated her win to her parents and coach.

“I am very happy to be back with a medal. This is my first Asian Games, and I am grateful to have had this opportunity. I was very excited, and we knew we would come back with a medal. I want to dedicate this medal to my parents and coach. I will celebrate the win with my family back home," said the shooter.

Tilotamma won a silver medal with Ashi Chouksey and Vidarsha Vinod in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team event. However, she could not achieve an individual medal.

Ashi, Tilotamma’s teammate in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions, said to ANI, “It feels great. It was a team effort, and we did really well. I am really happy we finished at the podium. My silver streak continues. A silver medal is really great, and we should be really proud of that. In the last few years, India has become a powerhouse in sports, and a lot of medals have come from shooting. It is a matter of pride for us that we are a part of this team."

Prior to this, Ashi had also secured silver medals in women’s 10 m air rifle and women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team events back in the 2022 edition.

Vidarsha also told ANI, “I am so happy that I have a medal at the Asian Games. This is my Asian Games debut. I was not expecting anything, just focused on giving my best. But now I have two medals, and I am so proud. I would like to dedicate this medal to my coach, Manoj sir."

Vidarsha also secured a silver medal in the women’s 10 m air rifle team with Elanevil Valarivan and Sonam Maskar. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane shared a sweet message with wife Radhika on the occasion of their 12th wedding anniversary on Saturday.

Sharing a series of cute pictures of the couple, Rahane captioned the post: “12 years of marriage, plenty of ups and downs, but always finding our way back to the dance floor.”

Rahane retired from international cricket in July this year.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

New Delhi [India], September 28 (ANI): Indian kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat hailed the team’s successful title defence at the ongoing Asian Games, saying that no team will be able to stop India’s dominance in the sport for years to come and will need a lot of preparation to do that.

India’s gold medal-winning kabaddi teams in men’s and women’s events arrived back home at Delhi airport on Sunday. Both Indian teams outclassed Iran in their respective gold medal matches.

Speaking to ANI about the gold medal win, Indian kabaddi star Pawan said to ANI that the match against Iran felt one-sided and that they need a lot of preparation to beat India. He also urged the central government to honour the kabaddi coach Randhir Sehrawat, a famed Indian kabaddi coach who is associated with Gujarat Giants in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), with the prestigious Dronacharya Award.

Pawan represents Tamil Thalaivas in PKL and is a big name in the competition. He was also the male flag-bearer for India at the Asian Games opening ceremony.

“I want to thank the entire nation for supporting kabaddi. I got goosebumps hearing the national anthem play. The match against Iran felt like a one-sided affair. There was a bit of competitiveness in the half-time, but other than that, it was one-sided. No one will be able to defeat us in the coming years; Iran will need time to prepare. I urge the government to confer the Dronacharya Award upon my coach, Randhir Sehrawat," he said.

The men’s team produced a 40-34 victory, while the women’s side edged past Iran 37-34 to successfully defend their title.

This campaign makes the Indian kabaddi team one of the finest teams ever to have played in the Asian Games.

Since the debut of the sport in men’s team competition at the 1990 Asian Games, India has won gold at nine out of ten editions, except for a bronze medal finish in the 2018 edition in Australia. Women’s kabaddi was introduced in the 2010 edition, and since then, India has been among the medalists there too, having won four gold medals and a silver.

Overall, with 13 golds, a silver and a bronze each (total 15), India is the most successful team in kabaddi at the Asian Games, with Iran (two golds, six silvers and two bronzes, a total of ten medals) being the second-best side. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)