India and Sri Lanka faced off in a high-stakes Asian Games women’s cricket final, with Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur leading the charge
New Delhi: India’s women’s cricket team delivered a dominant performance at the Asian Games 2026, defeating Sri Lanka by 147 runs to win the gold medal. In the gold-medal match at the Nisshin Korogi Sports Park, India posted a massive 216/3 in 20 overs after opting to bat first. Sri Lanka struggled in the chase and folded for just 69 runs in 15.4 overs.
With this emphatic victory, India successfully defended its women’s cricket title at the Asian Games.
Smriti Mandhana Leads India’s Batting Charge
Smriti Mandhana emerged as India’s top performer with the bat. She scored a brilliant 79 off 45 balls, smashing five fours and seven sixes. Mandhana attacked the Sri Lankan bowlers from the beginning and put India in a commanding position alongside Shafali Verma.
The opening pair added 99 runs for the first wicket and gave India a flying start during the powerplay.
Mandhana also reached a major milestone during her innings. She completed 11,000 runs in international cricket, becoming the first woman cricketer to achieve the feat. Just two days earlier, she had also become the leading run-scorer in women’s T20 International cricket.
Shafali Verma provided strong support at the other end, scoring an aggressive 48. The opening duo kept the Sri Lankan bowlers under pressure and laid the foundation for India’s huge total.
Richa Ghosh Finishes with a Flourish
After Mandhana’s dismissal, captain Harmanpreet Kaur contributed 19 runs before returning to the pavilion. Richa Ghosh then took charge of the innings and produced a blistering unbeaten 49 off just 22 balls.
Ghosh accelerated the scoring in the final overs and helped India reach 216/3. Her aggressive strokeplay gave India the perfect finish and pushed the team’s total beyond Sri Lanka’s reach.
India set Sri Lanka a challenging target of 217 runs, but the Sri Lankan batting lineup failed to withstand the pressure created by the Indian bowlers.
Sri Lanka Bowled Out for 69
Sri Lanka never managed to build momentum during the chase. Captain Chamari Athapaththu tried to lead the resistance with 29 runs off 21 balls, while Kaushani Nuthyangana added 14 runs.
However, the rest of the Sri Lankan batters struggled against India’s disciplined bowling attack. India kept taking wickets at regular intervals and eventually bowled Sri Lanka out for 69 in 15.4 overs.
Deepti Sharma led India’s bowling attack with an impressive spell of 3/6 in four overs. Shafali Verma claimed two wickets, while Shreyanka Patil and Sri Charani also picked up two wickets each.
The Indian bowlers maintained pressure throughout the innings and never allowed Sri Lanka to establish a partnership.
Also Read: India Women Seal Gold After Crushing Sri Lanka in Asian Games Final
India Retain Asian Games Gold
India’s victory gave the women’s cricket team its second consecutive Asian Games gold medal. India had previously won gold at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, where it also defeated Sri Lanka in the final.
India had also beaten Sri Lanka in the final of the recent Women’s Asia Cup, continuing its strong record against the island nation in major finals.
The gold medal marked India’s first gold medal at the Asian Games 2026. Under Harmanpreet Kaur’s captaincy, India produced a comprehensive performance with both bat and ball to secure a commanding 147-run victory and retain its Asian Games women’s cricket crown.
