Women's cricket team gives India first gold of 2026 Asian Games

The Indian women's cricket team secured their second consecutive gold medal at the Asian Games, defeating Sri Lanka by an imposing 147 runs in the final held on Tuesday. The match was characterized by a stellar batting display from the Indian team, who set a record-breaking target of 217 runs against Sri Lanka. Led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, the Indian batting lineup, featuring Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh, delivered a remarkable performance, with Mandhana scoring 79 runs off 45 balls and Ghosh contributing 48 off 22 balls.

Together, they maintained the total at a brisk pace, reaching the highest-ever total in Asian Games history. Once the target was surpassed, the result was inevitable, as Sri Lanka's batswoman Chamari Athapaththu could not prevent the Indian team from clinching victory. Sri Lanka's bowlers, spearheaded by Chamari Athapaththu, managed to restrict India to 69 all out in their innings, but it was far from a competitive contest.

Indian spinners Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma played crucial roles with the ball, contributing 2/3 and 3/6 respectively. The Indian team dominated the final, much like they had in the recent Asia Cup, with none of their opponents able to challenge them. Pakistan secured the bronze medal with a comfortable 31-run win over Bangladesh earlier in the day. With this win, the Indian men's team is also expected to defend their title.