India have their first gold medal of the Asian Games 2026 and it has come in emphatic fashion.

The Indian women’s cricket team defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final at Karogi Athletic Park in Nisshin, Aichi, on Tuesday, successfully defending the gold medal they won at the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games.

Sri Lanka once again finished with silver, while Pakistan secured bronze after defeating Bangladesh in the third-place playoff.

Mandhana Sets the Tone

After winning the toss, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur chose to bat. The decision quickly paid off.

Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma launched an attacking assault, adding 66 runs during the powerplay. Shafali, fresh from her century in the semi-final against Bangladesh, took on Sri Lanka’s bowlers and smashed three sixes off captain Chamari Athapaththu in the fifth over.

Mandhana soon brought up her 37th T20I half-century, reaching the milestone in just 30 balls. Shafali narrowly missed out on her own fifty, falling for 48 in the 10th over. Mandhana then added a 42-run partnership with Harmanpreet before the Indian skipper departed in the 15th over. Mandhana followed two overs later while attempting to accelerate. But India still had plenty of firepower left.

Richa’s Blazing Finish

Richa Ghosh provided the late fireworks. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed an unbeaten 49 off just 22 balls, helping India surge to 216/3. 

The total created a new record for the highest team score in women’s cricket at the Asian Games. 

India surpassed Hong Kong China’s previous record of 202/4, set against Mongolia during the Hangzhou 2023 qualifiers.

Bowlers Seal the Gold

Sri Lanka needed an extraordinary chase. Instead, India’s bowlers made sure there was little suspense. Shafali struck twice early, removing Imesha Dulani and Hasini Perera. Then came the crucial breakthrough. Deepti Sharma dismissed Chamari Athapaththu for 29 off 21 balls, just after the powerplay, putting Sri Lanka firmly on the back foot.

From there, wickets fell regularly. Deepti finished with remarkable figures of 3/6, while Shafali Verma, Shree Charani and Shreyanka Patil picked up two wickets each. Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for just 69 in 15.4 overs.

A record-breaking batting display. A dominant bowling performance. And India’s first gold of Asian Games 2026.