India’s First Gold! Women In Blue Crush Sri Lanka To Retain Asian Games Crown
India clinched the women’s cricket gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 with a dominant 147-run victory over Sri Lanka in the final. After Harmanpreet Kaur opted to bat, Smriti Mandhana smashed 79 off 45 balls, while Richa Ghosh added an unbeaten 49 off 22 to help India post a record 216/3, with Shafali Verma also contributing 48. Sri Lanka struggled in the chase and were bowled out for 69 in 15.4 overs, with Deepti Sharma claiming 3/6, while Shafali Verma, Shree Charani, and Shreyanka Patil took two wickets each. The victory secured India’s first gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games and saw them retain the women’s cricket title after their triumph at Hangzhou 2023.
Gold Medalist team India pose on the podium after the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
Gold medalist team India, in blue and white, silver medalist team Sri Lanka, in dark blue, and bronze medalist team Pakistan, in green, pose on the podium after the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
Gold Medalist team India pose on the podium after the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
Indian players celebrate after winning the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
Sri Lanka's Sugandika Manel Kumari Dasanayaka bats during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
India's Deepti Sharma, center right, celebrates the wicket of Sri Lanka's Kaveesha Dilhari Walikonthagei with teammate India's Shreyanka Rajesh Patil during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
India's Shreyanka Rajesh Patil celebrates with teammates the wicket of Sri Lanka's HM Dissanayaka Samarawickram during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
Sri Lanka's CJK Athapaththu Mudiyanselage leaves the ground after losing her wicket to India's Deepti Sharma during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
Sri Lanka's Kaveesha Dilhari Walikonthagei bats during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
India's Richa Ghosh, right, and India's Bharti Shrikrushna Fulmali leaves the ground after the end of the first innings during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
India's Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar plays a shot during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
India's Richa Ghosh bats during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
Team India supporters cheer during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
Sri Lanka's KN Seram Senevirathne Ediris, right, attempts to field the ball as India's Smriti Shriniwas Mandhana watches during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
India's Smriti Shriniwas Mandhana bats during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
Sri Lankan players celebrate the wicket of India's Shafali Verma during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
India's Shafali Verma watches as the ball go for a six during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
India's Smriti Shriniwas Mandhana bats during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
India's Shafali Verma bats during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
India's Shafali Verma bats during the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
Team India stands for the national anthem before the start of the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
Team Sri Lanka stands for the national anthem before the start of the women's gold medal T20 cricket game between India and Sri Lanka at the Asian Games in Nisshin, Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mark Baker
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