India win Asian Games cricket gold without having to bat; rain washes out match and higher ranking comes to play

India's players celebrate their victory in the men’s final cricket match between Afghanistan and India during the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, in China's eastern Zhejiang province on Saturday, October 7, 2023. - AFP

HANGZHOU (AFP): India were crowned Asian Games men's cricket champions on their first attempt and without needing to bat Saturday in an anti-climatic finish, consigning Afghanistan to a third consecutive silver.

India were declared winners of the final under an Asian Games-specific rule where the higher-ranked team takes the honours if the match cannot be finished, in this case due to rain.