Smriti Mandhana’s 79 and a dominant bowling display help India secure their first gold of the Games and seventh medal overall
Nisshin, September 2026 : India successfully defended their women’s cricket gold medal at the Asian Games, defeating Sri Lanka by a massive 147 runs in the final at Korogi Sports Park on Tuesday. A record-breaking batting performance led by Smriti Mandhana, followed by a clinical bowling display, ensured the Women in Blue retained the title they won in the previous edition.
The victory gave India their first gold medal of the ongoing Asian Games and their seventh medal overall. It also marked their second consecutive women’s cricket gold at the continental Games, with Sri Lanka once again finishing on the losing side in the final.
India produced a historic batting performance after being asked to set the target, posting 216/3 in their allotted 20 overs. The total became the highest in the history of the women’s cricket competition at the Asian Games and also the highest-ever score in a women’s T20 final.
Mandhana was the star of the innings, smashing 79 from just 45 deliveries. Her explosive knock included seven sixes and five fours and provided India with the platform for a huge total. During her innings, Mandhana also became the first player in women’s cricket to complete 11,000 runs in international cricket.
Shafali Verma continued her impressive run in the tournament, scoring 48 from 29 balls. She struck three fours and three sixes after her maiden white-ball century in the semifinal against Bangladesh.
Richa Ghosh then supplied a spectacular finish, remaining unbeaten on 49 from only 22 deliveries. Her innings included aggressive strokeplay that kept the momentum firmly with India during the closing stages. Bharti Fulmali contributed seven from seven balls as India crossed the 200-run mark and finished on 216/3.
India’s total surpassed the previous highest women’s score in Asian Games cricket, which was Hong Kong’s 202/4 against Mongolia during the 2023 Hangzhou Games. It also eclipsed the previous highest score in a women’s T20 final, with Brazil having scored 210 against Spain in a quadrangular series final earlier this year.
Sri Lanka faced an enormous challenge in chasing 217 and never managed to build sustained momentum. India’s bowlers attacked from the outset and continued taking wickets at regular intervals, eventually dismissing Sri Lanka for just 69.
Shafali began the demolition by removing Imesha Dulani and Hasini Perera. Deepti Sharma then took control of the innings, dismissing Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu for 29 from 21 balls. Athapaththu was caught at long-off, significantly reducing Sri Lanka’s hopes of producing a competitive chase.
Deepti went on to finish with outstanding figures of 3/6, while Shafali and Sree Charani claimed two wickets each. Shreyanka Patil also contributed to the collapse, removing Kaushani Nuthyangana for 14 to complete the innings.
Sri Lanka struggled to cope with India’s disciplined bowling and aggressive fielding, losing wickets consistently as they attempted to score at the required rate. The target proved far beyond their reach, and their innings ended at 69.
The comprehensive victory capped a dominant campaign for India and secured another Asian Games women’s cricket title. The gold also added to India’s growing medal tally while underlining the team’s strength in both batting and bowling.
Brief Scores:
India: 216/3 — Smriti Mandhana 79 (45), Richa Ghosh 49* (22); Chamudi Praboda 1/34, Kavisha Dilhari 1/35.
Sri Lanka: 69 — Chamari Athapaththu 29 (21), Kaushani Nuthyangana 14 (14); Deepti Sharma 3/6, Shafali Verma 2/3.
India won by 147 runs.
