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2nd Semi-Final | Asian Games 2026 | India vs Sri Lanka | 1 October 2026, 10:30 AM IST
India will most likely repeat the batting order from the second T20I against Afghanistan, with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson at the top and Jasprit Bumrah at eleven. Sri Lanka will build around captain Sahan Arachchige and Niroshan Dickwella. The quarter-final against Afghanistan was abandoned without a toss, so form comes from the earlier T20Is. Rain threatens again on 1 October, with no reserve day. Harshit Rana is out with a strain, while Yash Thakur is confirmed in the group.
The India top seven picks itself if the second T20I against Afghanistan is the template. Abhishek Sharma opens, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan follow, and Shreyas Iyer anchors the middle as captain at number four.
Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube fill five to seven, which leaves Axar Patel at eight. Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah complete the eleven, a lower order short on batting but long on wicket-taking.
| Batting Position | Player | Role |
| 1 | Abhishek Sharma | Opener / Batting All-rounder |
| 2 | Sanju Samson | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| 3 | Ishan Kishan | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| 4 | Shreyas Iyer | Captain / Batter |
| 5 | Tilak Varma | Batter |
| 6 | Nitish Kumar Reddy | Batting All-rounder |
| 7 | Shivam Dube | Batting All-rounder |
| 8 | Axar Patel | Bowling All-rounder |
| 9 | Ravi Bishnoi | Bowler (Leg-spinner) |
| 10 | Arshdeep Singh | Bowler (Seamer) |
| 11 | Jasprit Bumrah | Bowler (Seamer) |
Sooryavanshi was benched for the first two Afghanistan games, so he sits outside this eleven. Two wicketkeeper-batters in the top three also give the side cover if a rain-shortened game turns into a slog.
The squad news is settled on the India side. One older preview left Thakur off, but the confirmed fifteen includes him, and the absence of Rana removes a seam option. That fifteen reads: Iyer as captain and Tilak as vice-captain. Abhishek, Samson, Kishan, Sooryavanshi, Dube, Reddy, Axar, Sundar, Varun, Bishnoi, Bumrah, Arshdeep and Thakur complete it.
Sri Lanka named Arachchige as captain. Dickwella, Croospulle, Jayawardena, N. Fernando, De Livera, Bandara, Karunaratne, Ratnayake, W. Sahan, Viyaskanth, Hemantha, Thushara, B. Fernando and Sanketh make up the rest of the fifteen.
Abhishek Sharma scored 82 off 32, 39 off 19 and 108 off 34 across the Afghanistan T20Is between 13 and 17 September. The 108 turned a strong opener into a must-pick. Samson made 10 off 8, then 57 off 22. Kishan added 42 off 33 and 38 not out off 23. Bumrah played on 13 and 17 September, so he arrives with two recent outings.
That form explains why the top three look fixed. Abhishek has the runs, Samson has a fifty behind him, and Kishan has two solid innings.
Sahan Arachchige is the man in form. He made 170 runs in LPL 2026 at a strike rate of 160.38, and an earlier tally of 142 runs came at 165.12. Niroshan Dickwella added 110 LPL runs at 142.85 and should open. Nuwan Thushara took 8 wickets in 10 LPL matches, the seam threat Sri Lanka will lean on.
| Player | Role | Batting Position |
| Niroshan Dickwella | Wicketkeeper-batter | 1 (Opener) |
| Sahan Arachchige | Captain / Batting All-rounder | 5 (Middle-order) |
| Chamika Karunaratne | Bowling All-rounder | 7 (Lower-middle order) |
| Nuwan Thushara | Bowler (Seamer) | 10 (Tail-ender) |
| Vijayakanth Viyaskanth | Bowler (Leg-spinner) | 9 (Tail-ender) |
Karunaratne at seven and Viyaskanth at nine give the tail a spin option. Thushara at ten anchors the seam attack, so the lower order will be asked for runs only in an emergency.
The match starts at 10:30 AM IST, which is 2:00 PM in Japan. Weather is the bigger story, with a 60 to 70 percent chance of rain on 1 October and no reserve day. Another listing shows a 10:00 AM start, but that time is unconfirmed.
India reached this stage after the quarter-final against Afghanistan was abandoned on 28 September without a toss, and advanced as the top-ranked side. They lead Sri Lanka 21 to 9 across 33 T20Is.
First-innings scores in the four group games at Kōrogi have averaged 108, so a short game is likely to reward the deeper batting order. Whatever the weather does, the IND vs SL Asian Games 2026 playing XI question comes down to whether India should change a batting order that has worked.
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What time does India vs Sri Lanka start in the Asian Games semi-final?
The match starts at 10:30 AM IST on 1 October 2026. That equals 2:00 PM in Japan, and rain is forecast at 60 to 70 percent, with no reserve day.
Who is the India captain at the Asian Games 2026?
Shreyas Iyer captains India, with Tilak Varma as vice-captain. Iyer batted at number four in the second T20I against Afghanistan, and Tilak Varma followed at five.
Is Jasprit Bumrah in the India squad for the Asian Games semi-final?
Yes, Bumrah is in the India squad. He played the Afghanistan T20Is on 13 and 17 September, though his place in the semi-final eleven is unconfirmed.
Where can I watch India vs Sri Lanka at the Asian Games 2026?
Sony Sports Network and SonyLIV are the listed options. Both carry the semi-final for viewers in India, with the start set for 10:30 AM IST.
What happened in the India vs Afghanistan quarter-final?
The quarter-final was abandoned due to rain on 28 September. No toss took place, and India advanced as the top-ranked side, which sent them through to this semi-final.
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