India has won its first gold medal of the Asian Games-2026. The Indian women's cricket team defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final played on Tuesday to win the gold medal for the second consecutive time. The Indian team had also won gold at the 2022 Asian Games.
India Set a Record Score
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, the Indian team scored 216 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in 20 overs. This is the highest-ever score by the Indian women's cricket team in the Asian Games. For India, Smriti Mandhana scored a brilliant 79 runs. Shafali Verma played a quick innings of 48 runs, while Richa Ghosh remained unbeaten on 49 runs. Mandhana and Shafali added 99 runs for the first wicket while opening the innings.
Major Achievement for Mandhana
During her innings of 79 runs, Smriti Mandhana completed 11,000 runs in women's international cricket. Her innings played a crucial role in helping India post a strong total in the final. For Sri Lanka, Sugandika Kumari, Kavisha Dilhari and Chamudi Praboda took one wicket each.
Sri Lanka Bowled Out for 69 Runs
Chasing a target of 217 runs, Sri Lanka did not have a good start. The entire team was bowled out for just 69 runs in 15.4 overs.
Captain Chamari Athapaththu scored 29 runs and was the highest scorer for the team. Kaushini Nuthyangana contributed 14 runs, while Kavisha Dilhari scored 11 runs. Eight Sri Lankan batters failed to cross the double-digit mark.For India, Deepti Sharma was the most successful bowler. She took 3 wickets. Shafali Verma, Shreyanka Patil and N. Sree Charani took 2 wickets each.With this victory, the Indian women's cricket team secured its second consecutive gold medal at the Asian Games and also won India's first gold medal at the 2026 Games.