India’s women’s cricket team delivered the country’s first gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games with a commanding 147-run victory over Sri Lanka in the final at Korogi Athletic Park in Nisshin, Japan, on Tuesday. The win also saw Harmanpreet Kaur’s side successfully defend the title they won at the Hangzhou 2022 Games (held in 2023).
Record-Breaking Batting Display
Opting to bat first, India posted a formidable 216 for 3 in 20 overs — the highest total in women’s cricket at the Asian Games. Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma set the tone with a blistering 99-run partnership.
Mandhana top-scored with a scintillating 79 off 45 balls (5 fours, 7 sixes). The knock also saw her become the first woman to reach 11,000 international runs. Shafali contributed a quickfire 48 off 29 balls before falling short of a half-century. Richa Ghosh provided the finishing flourish with an unbeaten 49 off just 22 deliveries (6 fours, 3 sixes), while Bharti Fulmali also chipped in during a high-scoring final over
Clinical Bowling Performance
Chasing 217, Sri Lanka never recovered. Captain Chamari Athapaththu top-scored with 29, but the rest of the batting line-up collapsed under pressure from India’s spin attack. Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 69 in 15.4 overs.
Deepti Sharma led the way with outstanding figures of 3 for 6. Shafali Verma (2/3), Shreyanka Patil (2/9) and Shree Charani (2/13) also claimed two wickets each as India sealed a comprehensive victory.
Historic First Gold
The triumph marked India’s first gold medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and extended the women’s team’s continental dominance. Pakistan claimed the bronze medal earlier in the day by defeating Bangladesh by 31 runs.
The Indian contingent had already collected silver and bronze medals in other disciplines, but the cricket gold opened the country’s gold account on Day 3 of the Games. The national anthem was played for the first time at the venue following the victory.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders congratulated the team on the dominant performance and the historic first gold.
With this emphatic win, India reaffirmed its status as the leading force in Asian women’s cricket and set a strong tone for the remainder of the multi-sport event.