First gold for India at Asian Games 2026: Harmanpreet Kaur and co retain gold, beat Sri Lanka by 147 runs
The win also means India have successfully defended the women's cricket title they won at the previous Asian Games.
PTC News Desk: India started their Asian Games 2026 campaign with a gold medal after beating Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the women's cricket final on Tuesday.
India, who won the toss and chose to bat, posted a huge 216 for 3. Sri Lanka were then bowled out for just 69 runs.
The win also means India have successfully defended the women's cricket title they won at the previous Asian Games.
Mandhana and Shafali lead India's batting
Smriti Mandhana played a brilliant innings of 79 runs, while Shafali Verma scored 48 and also contributed with the ball.
The opening pair added 99 runs from 60 balls, giving India a strong start. Shafali attacked the Sri Lankan bowlers with powerful shots, while Mandhana picked her opportunities and kept finding gaps in the field.
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— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) September 22, 2026
Congratulations to #TeamIndia on clinching a 2️⃣nd consecutive Gold Medal in women's cricket at the #AsianGames ????????????
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/DVlhLBajxB pic.twitter.com/AAkS0VDUKh
India had already reached 59 runs after six overs, showing how aggressively they started the innings.
Mandhana's innings was especially significant as her 79 runs took her past 11,000 international runs, making her the first woman cricketer to reach the milestone.
She was looking set for a century but was caught while attempting another big shot.
Harmanpreet's struggle continues
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored only 19 runs from 17 balls.
Her recent struggles with the bat have continued through the Asia Cup and into the Asian Games, with another low score adding to the discussion around her current form.
India's dominant victory gave them their first gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games.