India’s wait for its first gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 is finally over, and it was the Indian women’s cricket team that delivered it in style. Harmanpreet Kaur-led India defeated Sri Lanka by a massive 147 runs in the women’s T20 final in Nagoya, Japan, to successfully defend the gold medal they won at the previous Asian Games.
The victory not only gave India its first gold of the ongoing Games but also made the women’s cricket team back-to-back Asian Games champions.
Women's cricket team rejoicing in victory
Smriti and Shafali set the tone
Batting first after being asked to take the game forward, India got exactly the start they needed. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma put together a stunning 99-run opening partnership, putting Sri Lanka under pressure from the beginning.
Mandhana was the star of the innings, smashing 79 runs from just 45 balls. Her knock included five fours and seven sixes. The innings also saw her become the first woman cricketer to cross the 11,000-run mark in international cricket. Shafali added a quick 48 off 29 balls.
Richa Ghosh then provided the perfect finish, remaining unbeaten on 49 off just 22 deliveries as India posted a huge 216/3. It was the highest total in the history of women’s cricket at the Asian Games.
Sri Lanka never really got going
Harmanpreet Kaur
With 217 runs to chase, Sri Lanka needed something extraordinary. Instead, India’s bowling attack completely took control.
Deepti Sharma led the way with brilliant figures of 3/6, while Shafali Verma, Shreyanka Patil and Sree Charani chipped in with two wickets each. Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for just 69 in 15.4 overs, handing India a gigantic 147-run victory.
India’s road to the final had also been convincing. They defeated Japan by eight wickets in the quarter-final before Shafali’s maiden T20I century helped them beat Bangladesh in the semi-final.
“Back-to-Back Asian Games champions!”
The gold medal quickly turned into a celebration across Indian cricket. Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan summed up the achievement in a short but fitting post on X: “What a way to bring India its first gold at the Asian Games 2026! Great performance, girls. Back-to-back Asian Games champions!”
Sachin Tendulkar also praised the team’s all-round effort, specifically highlighting the opening partnership between Shafali and Smriti, Richa Ghosh’s late hitting and the bowling performance that followed.
Shikhar Dhawan's tweet after team India's victory
ICC chairman Jay Shah congratulated the team as well, calling attention to the back-to-back gold medals and saying that performances like these show the strength of women’s cricket ahead of its return to the Olympics at LA 2028.
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi also congratulated the team, describing the victory as a “splendid triumph for Indian cricket” and praising the confidence, skill and teamwork displayed throughout the Games.
A Gold that says more than just “champions”
For Harmanpreet Kaur and her team, this was more than another medal. It was a successful title defence, India’s first gold of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and another big moment for women’s cricket.
From Smriti’s record-breaking knock and Shafali’s explosive batting to Richa’s finishing and Deepti’s spell with the ball, India produced the kind of complete team performance that finals are remembered for.
The Women in Blue came to Nagoya as defending champions. They leave as back-to-back Asian Games champions, with India’s first gold medal of the 2026 Games safely in the bag.