Nisshin (Japan), Sep 22: India won their first gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 after Harmanpreet Kaur-led women’s cricket team defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final.
India posted a huge 216/3, with Smriti Mandhana leading the way with 79 runs. Richa Ghosh added a quick unbeaten 49 off 22 balls.
Sri Lanka struggled in the chase and were bowled out for just 69 runs. Deepti Sharma was the star with the ball, taking 3/6, while Shafali Verma and Sree Charane also played key roles.
Mandhana also reached a major milestone, becoming the first woman to score 11,000 runs in international cricket.
The victory is India’s third consecutive win over Sri Lanka in a major final, following the 2023 Asian Games final and the recent Asia Cup final.
