Industry Odisha Bureau, Sep 22: India’s women cricketers won their first gold of the 2026 Asian Games. They beat Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final. Smriti Mandhana anchored a dominant total.
Openers Set The Platform
India batted first at Nisshin, Japan, on Tuesday. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss. Mandhana and Shafali Verma launched the innings aggressively. Their opening stand produced 99 runs from 60 balls. India reached 59 without loss inside the powerplay. Mandhana finished with 79 from 45 balls. She struck seven sixes along the way. Shafali added 48 from 29 deliveries. She fell attempting a reverse sweep off Chamudi Praboda.
Ghosh Powers India Past 200
Harmanpreet arrived at number three. She made 19 from 17 balls before falling in the 15th over. Mandhana soon followed, caught attempting a slog sweep off Sugandika Kumari. Richa Ghosh then accelerated India’s innings. She remained unbeaten on 49 from 22 balls. Her cameo pushed India to 216 for three. That total became the highest recorded in Asian Games women’s cricket.
Spinners Seal A 147-Run Win
Sri Lanka’s chase never gathered momentum. India’s bowlers struck at regular intervals. Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma and Shreyanka Patil combined for seven wickets. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 69. India completed a 147-run victory in the women’s cricket final.
Mandhana’s 11,000-Run Landmark
The final carried extra significance for Mandhana individually. During her innings, she passed 11,000 international runs. She became the first woman cricketer to reach that mark. The milestone arrived alongside her team’s title triumph.
India Retain Their Asian Games Crown
This gold extended India’s hold on the event. India had also won cricket gold at the previous Asian Games. Those Games were held in Hangzhou in 2023. India defeated Sri Lanka in that final as well. Tuesday’s result therefore delivered a second consecutive title. India reached this final by beating Bangladesh by 114 runs in the semi-final. Sri Lanka advanced past Pakistan by eight wickets.
A Statement Start To The Campaign
India’s women’s cricket team has now opened the 2026 Asian Games with gold. The 216/3 total, built on Mandhana and Shafali’s platform and Ghosh’s late surge, proved decisive. Sri Lanka could not respond to India’s spin attack. The result confirms India’s continued strength in women’s T20 cricket at the Asian Games, with the team successfully defending a title it first won in Hangzhou.
