The Bangladesh women's cricket team has advanced to the semifinals of the Asian Games without playing their match against China.

The scheduled match in Nagoya, Japan, on Thursday (September 17) was ultimately abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch caused by rain.

Although there was no new rainfall on Thursday morning in Nagoya, continuous rain over the previous few days left the ground wet.

The match was scheduled to start at 9:00 AM local time, but umpires were unable to even conduct the toss as the field was unfit for play.

After reviewing field conditions through three separate inspections and waiting for an extended period, umpires decided to cancel the match.

Qualification via Rankings
According to the Asian Games cricket bylaws, because the match was abandoned, Bangladesh secured a semifinal spot by virtue of being higher-ranked.

Nigar Sultana Joty's team thus earned a place in the final four without having to play China.

A similar rule was applied due to adverse weather and ground conditions during the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.

Upcoming Women's Football Fixture
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh women's football team also has a match on Thursday.

Sabina Khatun's squad will face South Korea in Osaka, with the match scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM Bangladesh time.

In their opening match, Bangladesh suffered a 10-0 defeat against North Korea.

Although the official opening ceremony of the Asian Games is scheduled for September 19, the cricket competition began on September 17.

September is one of the rainiest months of the year in Nagoya, so the threat of rain hung over Bangladesh's match from the start.

Due to the adverse weather, the Bangladesh women's cricket team was unable to hold full practice sessions prior to the match.