Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, September 22, 2026: India’s women’s cricket team delivered a commanding performance against Sri Lanka in the final of the 2026 Asian Games, securing a 147-run victory and the gold medal. The triumph also gave India its first gold medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, India won the toss and elected to bat first. The decision paid immediate dividends as the Indian batting line-up produced a powerful total of 216/3 in 20 overs, setting a record-high total for women’s cricket at the Asian Games.
Mandhana Leads India’s Batting Charge
Smriti Mandhana was the star performer with the bat, scoring an impressive 79 runs from 45 balls. Her aggressive innings included seven sixes and provided India with the perfect platform.
Shafali Verma contributed 48 runs from 29 balls, while Richa Ghosh finished unbeaten on 49 from just 22 deliveries to give India’s innings a powerful finish.
Mandhana also reached a major career milestone during the innings, becoming the first woman cricketer to complete 11,000 international runs.
Sri Lanka Struggle in the Chase
Chasing 217 for victory, Sri Lanka struggled against India’s disciplined bowling attack. The Sri Lankan batting order was eventually dismissed for 69 runs in 15.4 overs, handing India a comprehensive 147-run victory.
Deepti Sharma led India’s bowling effort with three wickets, while Shafali Verma, Sree Charani and Shreyanka Patil also made important contributions with the ball. Sri Lanka’s captain Chamari Athapaththu scored 29 from 21 balls but could not prevent the collapse.
India Retain Asian Games Women’s Cricket Title
The victory means India have successfully defended the women’s cricket gold medal they won at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. Sri Lanka took the silver medal, while Pakistan secured bronze after defeating Bangladesh in the third-place match.
The gold medal marks another significant achievement for Indian women’s cricket on the international stage, with India’s batting strength and spin attack combining to produce a comprehensive victory in the final.
India 216/3 (20 overs)
Sri Lanka 69 all out (15.4 overs)
India won by 147 runs
Gold: India | Silver: Sri Lanka | Bronze: Pakistan
