Richa Ghosh smashed an unbeaten 49 off 22 balls as the India women's cricket team clinched gold at the Asian Games 2026, crushing Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, on Tuesday, 22 September 2026. India posted a record 216/3 before bowling Sri Lanka out for just 69, defending their title from the previous edition of the Games.

Ghosh on the Gold-Medal Feeling

A jubilant Ghosh said the team's singular focus throughout the campaign was on winning gold. 'Feeling very good, everyone is happy because this is what we wanted. Since we started our journey for the Asian Games, our one focus was to win gold and raise the India flag as high as we can, make India proud; that is what we wanted, and I think after getting the gold, I think everyone is happy,' the wicketkeeper-batter said after the match.

Ghosh drew a sharp distinction between winning a trophy and standing on the podium for a gold medal. 'When you stand on the podium and sing the national anthem, that is a different feeling... both have a very different feeling, so I cannot make either of them less,' she added. She also confirmed that celebrations for the Asia Cup and the Asian Games triumphs are still to come, saying the team deliberately avoids planning festivities until the final ball is bowled.

Mandhana's Historic Knock Sets the Platform

Smriti Mandhana anchored the innings with a blazing 79 off 45 balls, laced with seven sixes and five fours. In the process, she became the first player in women's cricket to complete 11,000 international runs — a landmark that arrived in a gold-medal final. Shafali Verma contributed a brisk 48 off 29 deliveries, continuing her rich vein of form after a maiden white-ball hundred in the semifinal against Bangladesh, while Bharti Fulmali chipped in with a run-a-ball seven as Ghosh finished with a flourish.

Bowlers Complete a Clinical Demolition

Deepti Sharma was the standout with the ball, taking three wickets, including the prized scalp of Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu for 29, caught at long-off, to all but end the chase. Shafali Verma opened the bowling damage, removing openers Imesha Dulani and Hasini Perera in quick succession. No. 1-ranked T20I bowler Sree Charani and Shreyanka Patil claimed two wickets each, with Shreyanka taking the final wicket — Kaushani Nuthyangana for 14 — to seal the emphatic victory.

Historic Gold for Indian Women's Cricket

This is India's first gold medal at the ongoing Asian Games 2026 and the country's seventh gold overall at the Asiad. Crucially, the Women in Blue have now defended the title they won at the previous edition, defeating Sri Lanka in both finals. The back-to-back gold medals further cement this generation's standing as the dominant force in Asian women's cricket.

With the Asia Cup and Asian Games titles now secured in the same cycle, India's women's cricket programme enters a new phase of regional dominance — and the spotlight will turn to how the team builds toward global tournaments ahead.