Cricket
Asian Games 2026: Harmanpreet Kaur and Co win India’s first gold
India won their first gold at the Asian Games 2026 after beating Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the women’s cricket final to defend their title.
India won their first gold at the Asian Games 2026 after beating Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the women’s cricket final to defend their title (Photo credit: PTI)
India finally opened their gold-medal account at the Asian Games 2026 as Harmanpreet Kaur’s side defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the women’s cricket final in Nisshin on Tuesday.
The victory also saw India retain the title they won at the previous Asian Games.
After opting to bat, India posted a mammoth 216/3 in 20 overs, with Smriti Mandhana leading the charge with a 79-run knock. Shafali Verma provided an explosive start with 48 off 29 balls, while Richa Ghosh finished the innings in style with an unbeaten 49 from just 22 deliveries.
Mandhana and Shafali put together a 99-run opening partnership before India accelerated through the middle and death overs. The total became the highest ever posted in Asian Games cricket.
India’s bowlers then produced a dominant display to dismiss Sri Lanka for just 69 in 15.4 overs.
Deepti Sharma claimed 3/6, while Shafali Verma (2/3), Shree Charani (2/13) and Shreyanka Patil (2/9) shared the remaining seven wickets.
Sri Lanka’s captain Chamari Athapaththu top-scored with 29, but her dismissal in the seventh over triggered a collapse. No other Sri Lankan batter managed to cross 20.
The 147-run victory completed a comprehensive title defence for India and delivered the country’s first gold medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.