Games-India gifted cricket gold by ranking rule after final washed out

HANGZHOU, China :Gifted an arm-chair ride by Asian Games organisers, India were awarded gold in the men's cricket on Saturday as the rain-hit T20 final against Afghanistan was decided only by the superpower's superior global ranking.

Afghanistan, ranked 10th in the ICC's T20 rankings versus world number one India, were left with silver and powerless to do anything about it after rain halted the match when they were 112 for five after 18.2 overs of the first innings.

With India unable to bat a minimum required five overs - or even start their innings - play was abandoned soon after 5 p.m. (0900 GMT), leaving Ruturaj Gaikwad's team to celebrate victory by default in the nation's debut in the event.

"It feels very good, feels very proud. It’s something we’re not used to, winning a medal, obviously," Gaikwad told reporters.

"Pretty much disappointing, I would say," he added of the rain.

"Obviously we would love to have a full game .... But it’s the thing we cannot control."

Deciding results by teams' rankings is almost unheard of in cricket, let alone for major tournament finals.

Most allow spare days for deciders in case of rain.

If none are available, a winner is generally declared via tie-breaking criteria based on teams' performances within the tournament.

The rankings rule also gave India's gold medal-winning women a free pass to the semi-finals after rain washed out their quarter-final against Malaysia.

Afghanistan were condemned to a third silver in three Asian Games tournaments, having fallen in the final to Bangladesh in 2010 and to Sri Lanka in 2014.

Cricket was dropped from the programme for the 2018 Games.

"Unfortunately for us India are the top-ranked team in the world, so that's why they are now the gold medallists," said