Rain threat looms over India-Pakistan Asian Games cricket final
Rain could force India and Pakistan to share the Asian Games cricket gold medal if the final is abandoned.
Persistent rain in Nisshin has raised the possibility that Saturday's Asian Games men's cricket final between India and Pakistan could be affected. The weather forecast indicates a 62 percent chance of rain in the morning, dropping to 25 percent in the afternoon.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 124 runs in the semi-final, while Pakistan advanced by beating Bangladesh in a rain-shortened semi-final. Both teams have already navigated weather disruptions during the tournament.
Under the 2026 Asian Games rules, if the final is abandoned without a result, the gold medal will be shared by both teams. This differs from the 2023 edition, when India were awarded gold after their final against Afghanistan was washed out.
CricHubb Take
The shared-gold rule removes the outright winner incentive and could alter on-field aggression if rain threatens to end the match prematurely.