Sri Lanka opt to field vs India in Asian Games 2026 cricket semifinal

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field against defending champions India in the second semifinal of the men’s cricket event at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Thursday. India will seek to secure a place in the gold-medal match with a victory over Sri Lanka. The winner will face Pakistan in the final after Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by six wickets in the first semifinal, which was reduced to 13 overs due to rain. Stay connected Make The News Mill your preferred source See more TNM stories when you search for news on Google. The losing team from the second semifinal will compete against Bangladesh in the bronze-medal match. India aims to continue their strong performance and defend the gold medal won at the previous Asian Games edition. The match between India and Sri Lanka is a crucial contest, with a place in the final and a guaranteed medal at stake. Before the match, Indian player Sanju Samson credited the country’s domestic cricket structure and the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the growth of Indian cricket. He highlighted the role of domestic tournaments such as the Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Ranji Trophy in developing talent. Samson stated: “We will try our maximum. Whatever we can do, we will try our maximum. I think it’s all over the internet. It’s a known fact nowadays how strong Indian cricket has grown over the last so many years. So I think there has been some constant effort. Definitely, IPL plays a huge role, but I feel our domestic cricket is also playing a huge role, actually. We have been constantly making great efforts to go out and play all the domestic matches whenever we get a chance, and that’s where we tend to develop a lot of talent also. So our grooming teams are really nicely placed – actually the Mushtaq Ali, the Vijay Hazare, the Ranji Trophy.” He added: “The Under-19 (teams) are traveling abroad every season. A great amount of cricketers are coming from (there). So, which is a great thing for our country, and we will keep doing our best. [On Virat Kohli scoring his 86th international hundred during the first ODI vs West Indies] Very, very fortunate to have someone like him. I think whenever he scores runs, whenever we come out to practice, or how to play a game of cricket for our country, or wherever he does, it’s a great inspiration for people like us still playing the game in the Indian national team, and everyone playing alongside him. I think it definitely benefits the way he puts on the performances. So I’m very happy.” The playing XI for India includes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, and Jasprit Bumrah. Sri Lanka’s playing XI comprises Lasith Croospulle, Sineth Jayawardena, Sohan de Livera (wicketkeeper), Ashen Bandara, Sahan Arachchige (captain), Nuwanidu Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Wanuja Sahan, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Tharindu Ratnayake, and Binura Fernando.