PAK vs BAN, 1st Semi-Final Asian Games 2026: Check where and when to watch live streaming, playing 11, weather forecast and more

Pakistan will face Bangladesh in the first semi-final of the men’s cricket tournament at the Asian Games 2026 on Thursday, October 1, with a place in the gold-medal match at stake. The match will be played at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, and is scheduled to begin at 9:00 am local time, or 5:30 am IST. Both sides reached the last four after their quarter-final matches were abandoned because of rain, with their higher seedings sending them through.

The contest will also mark Pakistan’s return to the Asian Games medal hunt after they lost the bronze-medal match to Bangladesh in the 2023 Hangzhou edition. Pakistan are led by Sahibzada Farhan and have a squad mixing experienced T20 players with younger names, while Bangladesh have Litton Das back as captain and a much more experienced group available for the semi-final.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Playing 11

Pakistan will be captained by Sahibzada Farhan and are expected to field a combination of established T20 players and emerging talent. The probable XI is:


Sahibzada Farhan (C), Maaz Sadaqat, Saim Ayub, Haider Ali, Usman Khan (WK), Abdul Samad, Saad Masood, Sufyan Moqim, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Ali Raza and Abrar Ahmed.

Pakistan’s squad includes players such as Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Haider Ali, Usman Khan and Mohammad Wasim Jr, alongside younger players including Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood and Ali Raza. Current team updates indicate that Pakistan have no major fresh injury concerns, although the final combination could depend on the choice between Saad Masood and Arafat Minhas.

Bangladesh will be led by Litton Das, who has returned to the side after recovering from injury. Najmul Hossain Shanto is also part of the squad after not featuring in a T20I for Bangladesh for more than a year. Their probable XI is:

Saif Hasan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Litton Das (C & WK), Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Yasir Ali, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman and Hasan Mahmud.

Bangladesh’s squad also contains experienced options such as Mustafizur Rahman, Mahedi Hasan and Rishad Hossain.

PAK vs BAN 1st Semi-Final Pitch Report and Weather Forecast

The match will be played at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, where the surface has played on the slower side during the tournament. Spin has been useful, while bowlers using cutters and changes of pace can also find assistance. Recent rain could make the pitch and outfield slower if further showers arrive.

The forecast for October 1 is considerably more encouraging after rain caused widespread disruption to the knockout stage. The latest outlook indicates only a minimal chance of precipitation in Nisshin, giving the teams a good opportunity to play a full match.

The expected temperature around match time is around 30°C, with humidity near 30%, wind speeds of about 17.4 kmph and visibility of roughly 10 km. There are no significant precipitation concerns indicated in the provided match forecast.

Rain remains an important factor because the quarter-finals were washed out without a ball being bowled. Under the tournament rules, if the semi-final is also abandoned without a result, Pakistan would progress to the final because of their higher seeding.

Head-to-head record between Pakistan and Bangladesh

Pakistan have dominated the overall T20I head-to-head record against Bangladesh. The teams have met 26 times in men’s T20Is, with Pakistan winning 21 matches and Bangladesh five.

However, recent meetings have shown that Bangladesh can challenge Pakistan. Bangladesh won the first two matches of their 2025 T20I series before Pakistan won the third game, while Pakistan also won their Asia Cup meeting in September 2025.

The historical record gives Pakistan the statistical advantage, but Thursday’s match involves different squads and the Asian Games setting is separate from the teams’ previous bilateral contests.

PAK vs BAN 1st semi-final live streaming

The Pakistan vs Bangladesh Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket semi-final will be played on Thursday, October 1 at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.

The match will begin at 5:30 am IST in India, corresponding to 9:00 am local time in Japan. Fans in India can watch the match live on the Sony Sports Network, while the digital stream will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.

PAK vs BAN 1st semi-final match prediction

Pakistan enter the semi-final with a significant historical advantage over Bangladesh in T20Is, having won 21 of their 26 meetings. However, the current Pakistan side is not its full-strength T20I team, while Bangladesh have a more experienced squad led by Litton Das.

The conditions at Korogi Sports Park could make the contest particularly dependent on bowling and middle-over control. The slower surface has offered opportunities for spin and cutters, which could bring Bangladesh’s varied bowling attack into play. Pakistan, meanwhile, will look to players such as Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Abrar Ahmed and Sufyan Moqim to make the difference.

Overall, Pakistan’s stronger historical record provides one factor to consider, while Bangladesh’s greater experience and the slow conditions provide another. The toss could also be important if captains believe batting first is preferable on a surface expected to remain difficult for run-scoring.

One unusual element hangs over the semi-final because neither team has played a completed quarter-final in the tournament. Pakistan’s match against Hong Kong and Bangladesh’s game against Malaysia were both abandoned because of rain, with the two sides advancing on seeding.