India Men won the gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games despite rain forcing an abandonment halfway through their final against Afghanistan at Hangzhou.
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Cricket had been introduced to the Asiad in 2010, in the Guangzhou Games. There was a cricket event at Incheon 2014, but not at Jakarta-Palembang 2018. When it returned at Hangzhou, in 2022 (eventually played in 2023), India sent teams for the first time, at both the men’s and women’s events.
Rain played spoilsport at both events, that too at the knockouts. Had it rained during the group stage, teams would simply have shared points, but the league matches were played out without a hitch.
In the women’s cricket event, India put on 173-2 in 15 overs in the first quarter-final, but no play was possible after Malaysia made a run off two balls. Two other quarter-finals – Pakistan versus Indonesia and Bangladesh versus Hong Kong – were washed out completely.
As per the rules, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh all qualified for the semi-finals without playing full matches – because they had been seeded above their respective oppositions. They joined Sri Lanka, who won the only completed quarter-final, against Thailand.
Malaysia perhaps fared the worst, because they had not lost in the entire tournament but still got knocked out. India eventually won gold, their first medal at cricket at the Asian Games.
There was no rain until the semi-finals for the men’s event either. Then, in the bronze medal match, a shower held up play with Pakistan on 48-1 after five overs. Exactly five more overs of cricket – the minimum requirement for a full match – was possible, and Bangladesh chased the adjusted target of 65 off the last ball to secure third place.
The final, at the same venue, began well, but the rain returned with Afghanistan on 112-5 after 18.2 overs. Play could not resume, and India, the higher-seeded side, won their second gold medal at cricket.
