India’s women’s cricket team made a strong start against Sri Lanka in the Asian Games 2026 gold medal final after captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and chose to bat first at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan. The final began at 10:30 AM IST, with India looking to successfully defend the Asian Games women’s cricket title they won in 2023.
The contest is another chapter in the growing rivalry between the two Asian sides. India and Sri Lanka recently met in the Women’s Asia Cup final, while both sides reached the Asian Games title clash after strong semifinal performances. India defeated Bangladesh by 114 runs in the semifinal, while Sri Lanka overcame Pakistan to book their place in the gold medal match.
Smriti Mandhana Asian Games final innings keeps India on top
Smriti Mandhana once again took responsibility at the top of India’s batting order, continuing the strong form that has defined her recent international performances.
Alongside Shafali Verma, Mandhana helped India establish early momentum before the middle order took over. The left-hander attacked the Sri Lankan bowlers whenever they missed their lengths while also rotating the strike effectively to prevent the innings from slowing down.
Mandhana has enjoyed an exceptional recent run. Her performances have become increasingly important to India’s aggressive batting approach, particularly in major tournament matches.
Harmanpreet Kaur promoted herself to No. 3 and attempted to maintain India’s scoring rate. She struck three boundaries during her innings but was eventually dismissed for 19 from 17 balls when she tried to attack Kavisha Dilhari and was caught at long-off.
At that point, India were 142/2 after 15 overs, with Richa Ghosh coming to the crease as the team looked to accelerate during the final five overs. That score should be viewed as a live-match snapshot rather than the completed innings total.
India women batting against Sri Lanka builds gold medal pressure
India entered the final with confidence after an emphatic run through the knockout stage. In the semifinal against Bangladesh, India posted 195/4 before dismissing Bangladesh for 81, completing a 114-run victory. Shafali Verma starred with an unbeaten century, while India’s bowling attack also produced a dominant performance.
Sri Lanka, however, arrived in the final with strong momentum of their own. Captain Chamari Athapaththu remains the major threat at the top of the order, while Kavisha Dilhari and the Sri Lankan spin attack provide important options through the middle overs.
India’s batting depth, featuring Mandhana, Shafali, Harmanpreet, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma, gives the defending champions several options to increase the scoring rate late in the innings.
The final also carries added significance because India are attempting to retain the Asian Games gold medal rather than win the title for the first time. India won the women’s cricket gold when the sport featured at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.
With a gold medal at stake, the match remains one of India’s biggest events on Day 4 of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The final outcome will depend not only on India’s batting total but also on how effectively their bowling attack can contain Sri Lanka’s experienced top order.
