Asian Games 2026 | Men’s Cricket Semi-Final 2 | IND vs SL | Preview and Predictions
The second semi-final in the men’s cricket event of the 2026 Asian Games sees defending champions India take on Sri Lanka.
India have made their way to the semi-final thanks to their higher seeding after their quarter-final against Afghanistan was washed out, while Sri Lanka made the final four also on the back of a washout against Nepal due to their higher seeding.
For this game, here we present our preview and predictions.
India v Sri Lanka | Asian Games 2026: Men’s Cricket Semi-Final 2 | 10:30 IST, October 1, 2026
The reigning T20 world champions have brought their first team to Japan for the Asian Games as they look to defend their gold medal from four years ago.
Shreyas Iyer is at the helm of the Indian team and has a strong batting unit at his disposal, boasting the likes of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, and Sanju Samson.
Jasprit Bumrah is leading the bowling attack for Men in Blue and will be supported by pacers Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur, and Shivam Dube. Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar are the main spinners, with Vipraj Nigam coming in as a late replacement for the injured Varun Chakaravarthy.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have taken a relatively inexperienced squad to Japan with a host of new faces.
Sahan Arachchige, who has plenty of domestic experience but only one T20I under his belt, is leading the squad. Niroshan Dickwella and Dushan Hemantha are two experienced names in the batting unit, while the rest of the batters have under five T20Is under their belts combined.
Nuwan Thushara is the experienced name in the Lankan bowling attack, with young Garuka Sanketh and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth also getting a chance. Chamika Karunaratne is one of the more experienced all-rounders in the squad, and he will be handy with the ball as well.
While there has not been much cricket at the Nisshin ground, the strip has been a slow one with assistance for spinners.
India’s strong batting unit sets them apart for a big score regardless of where they play, and we have the Men in Blue as our clear favourites to get the better of this inexperienced Sri Lankan side and progress to the final.
Fantasy XI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma (c), Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Sahan Arachchige, Shreyas Iyer, Nuwanidu Fernando, Axar Patel, Chamika Karunaratne, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Nuwan Thushara, Ravi Bishnoi
Venue: Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, Japan
Winners Prediction: India
