Asian Games 2026: Indian women's cricket team strike first gold, beat Sri Lanka in final

India have won their first gold medal at the Asian Games in Japan after defeating Sri Lanka in the women’s cricket final on Tuesday. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side produced a commanding all-round performance to secure a comprehensive 147-run victory at the Aichi Prefectural Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.

After being invited to bat, India posted an imposing 216/3 in 20 overs. The Indian batters maintained an aggressive approach throughout the innings, putting Sri Lanka under pressure from the opening over and setting up a challenging target in the gold-medal match.

Sri Lanka struggled to build partnerships during their chase. India’s bowlers struck at regular intervals and eventually dismissed the island nation for just 69 runs in 15.4 overs. Deepti Sharma was the standout bowler for India, claiming three wickets and helping dismantle Sri Lanka’s batting order.

Repeat of Hangzhou final

The victory also marked a repeat of the previous Asian Games women’s cricket final. India had defeated Sri Lanka by 19 runs in Hangzhou in 2023, when cricket was included in the 2022 Asian Games programme after the event was postponed.

The two teams once again entered the final as strong contenders after impressive semi-final victories. India had stormed into the title clash with a 114-run win over Bangladesh, with Shafali Verma scoring an unbeaten century and the bowlers delivering a disciplined performance. Sri Lanka had overcome Pakistan to book their place in the gold-medal match.

Historic achievement for India

India’s triumph strengthens their position as the leading force in women’s cricket at the continental level. The team’s success in Japan adds another major title to Indian women’s cricket and provides a significant boost ahead of future international competitions.

The gold medal is also a notable achievement for the Indian squad. Their emphatic win over Sri Lanka ensured that India began their Asian Games campaign with a statement victory and successfully defended their women’s cricket title.

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India’s Asian Games medal tally

India opened their Asian Games campaign in Japan with seven medals, including one gold, four silver and two bronze medals. The women’s cricket team secured the country’s first gold after defeating Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final, ending India’s wait for a top-place finish. Shooting has contributed five medals to India’s tally so far, while the women’s cricket team added the sixth medal before converting it into gold. India are currently placed 12th in the overall medal standings.