India defend women’s cricket gold with a 147-run win over Sri Lanka

Before Sri Lanka could begin their chase, India had already made the task enormous. The target was 217, the scoreboard was full of boundaries, and the gold medal was starting to look a long way from the chasing side.

India won the women’s cricket final at the Asian Games on September 22 by 147 runs, defending the title they took at the previous edition. Harmanpreet Kaur’s team made 216/3 in 20 overs and then dismissed Sri Lanka for 69.

The Olympic Council of Asia confirmed that India’s total was the highest by a women’s team in Asian Games history. The victory at Korogi Athletic Park also delivered India’s first gold medal of the 2026 Games.

The opening pair set the pace

Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma put on 99 for the first wicket. According to the ICC’s match report, Mandhana scored 79 from 45 balls, while Verma fell two runs short of a half-century.

That opening stand gave India room to keep attacking after the first wicket. Richa Ghosh supplied the late acceleration, finishing with 49 from 22 deliveries as the total moved beyond 200.

The Times of India reported that Ghosh remained unbeaten and that India hit 13 sixes during the innings. In a 20-over match, that kind of scoring leaves very little breathing room for the opposition.

The bowlers kept control

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu made 29 from 21 balls, but wickets kept falling around her. The ICC reported that Verma took two early wickets before Deepti Sharma dismissed Athapaththu in the seventh over.

Deepti finished with three wickets. Verma, Shreyanka Patil and Sree Charani each took two, as India ended the chase in fewer than 16 overs. The batting had created the advantage; the bowling made sure Sri Lanka could not turn the final into a contest.

Speaking after the match, Harmanpreet said the team had discussed staying unbeaten and maintaining its standards, according to PTI’s report carried by NDTV. She credited the combination of experienced players and younger talent.

For India, there were two achievements to celebrate: another women’s cricket title and the country’s first gold of this edition. Those are different milestones. The team had already won at Hangzhou, so this was a successful defence, not India’s first-ever women’s cricket gold.

Big finals are often remembered for one nervous over or one narrow escape. This one belonged to a team that built its lead early and kept adding to it. Several players had a hand in the result, and Sri Lanka never found a way to interrupt the momentum.