On Tuesday, September 22 at Karogi Athletic Park in Nisshin, Aichi, India’s women’s cricket team defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs to win the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026. After winning the toss and choosing to bat, captain Harmanpreet Kaur set the foundation for an outstanding performance that would define the competition. After winning the gold in women’s cricket at Hangzhou in 2023, this victory was India’s second straight Asian Games gold.
India set a record at the continental showcase with 216 for 3 wickets. Richa Ghosh scored 49 off 22 balls without losing, while Smriti Mandhana scored 79 off 45 balls. Deepti Sharma took 3 for 6 as Indian bowlers held Sri Lanka to 69 all out. India’s dominance throughout the campaign was highlighted by the overwhelming victory.
Harmanpreet Kaur expressed optimism that India would win another gold in the Asian Games’ other competitions
Following the victory, Harmanpreet Kaur expressed optimism that India would win another gold in the Asian Games’ other competitions. Receiving a gold medal makes me happy. It’s a dream for every athlete. The Indian Express cited Kaur as stating, “Our team has opened the gate of gold medals. “We will benefit if India wins more gold medals. Tomorrow, we’re returning to India. However, we will undoubtedly monitor (other incidents),” she continued.
Indian cricket players have long dreamed of capturing gold at the Asian Games, and Kaur considered the significance of that achievement. The skipper emphasized the emotional significance of reaching this milestone for the country as well as the team’s unified commitment from the moment they landed in Japan. For both the team and me, winning gold is really important. We came here with the sole intention of winning the gold medal. We want to hear the national anthem sung and our flag soar high. However, we were unaware that we would receive the gold first. The other athletes will undoubtedly take home numerous gold medals,” Kaur remarked.
Compared to other sports, Indian cricket players’ involvement in the Asian Games is a comparatively new option. Harmanpreet discussed how the addition of women’s cricket in the continental competition has given players of prior generations access to opportunities that were previously unattainable. Since we have always played in bilateral series, the World Cup, and the Asia Cup, we have always desired to compete in the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Olympics as cricket players.
However, we had no idea what it was like to compete for a medal. Kaur stated, “We didn’t have much experience with those things. “Fortunately, though, we were able to participate in the last two editions. Many cricket players came before us, but they were not given the opportunity. Facilities, stadiums, and crowds will all undoubtedly get better in the future, she continued.
The captain also emphasized a special feature of taking home medals from the Asian Games. These medals had special meaning for the players who had labored to bring them home, unlike domestic trophies that are kept in the cricket board’s office. And since the trophies we win go to the (BCCI) office, at least we can now frame two medals back home. They never return to us. However, this is something we own,” Kaur stated.
