Indian Women's Cricket Team Shines with Gold at 2026 Asian Games

Historic Victory for Indian Women’s Cricket

Guwahati (Assam) [India], September 23: The Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Devajit Saikia, extended his congratulations to the Indian Women’s cricket team for securing the gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Wednesday.

Saikia commended the efforts of captain Harmanpreet Kaur, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, the players, head coach Amol Muzumdar, and the entire support staff for their remarkable achievements.

The Indian women's team showcased their dominance at the continental level, winning their second consecutive Asian Games gold medal. They achieved this with a spectacular performance, defeating Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final match. India set a formidable target of 216 runs, while Sri Lanka was bowled out for just 69 runs in 15.4 overs.

With this victory, India claimed their first gold medal of this edition of the Asian Games.

In a statement, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia expressed his joy, stating, “I am extremely happy. The entire nation is celebrating the outstanding performance of our women’s cricket team. Their winning streak began last year on November 3rd when they became the ODI ICC World Champions. I congratulate each member of the team, led by Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Vice-Captain Smriti Mandhana, for their exceptional performance. I also commend Head Coach Amol Muzumdar and his support staff for maintaining this success over time. I hope this winning momentum continues.”

India's bowlers were instrumental in dismantling the Sri Lankan batting order, with Deepti Sharma leading the charge with impressive figures of 3/6. Shafali Verma and Shreyanka Patil each took two wickets, while Shree Charani also contributed with two wickets.

India's innings saw Smriti Mandhana shine with a top score of 79 runs off 45 balls, while Shafali Verma added a quick 48 off 29 balls. Richa Ghosh provided a late surge with an unbeaten 49 off 22 balls. Mandhana's innings included five fours and seven sixes, marking her 37th half-century in T20 internationals and making her the first woman cricketer to surpass 11,000 runs in international cricket.

This 147-run victory marks India’s second consecutive gold medal in women’s cricket at the Asian Games, following their triumph in Hangzhou in 2023.

The Indian women's cricket team also celebrated their recent success in the Women’s Asia Cup, where they defeated Sri Lanka in the final on September 13.

Interestingly, after their Asia Cup victory, the team made headlines by refusing to accept the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 trophy from ACC President and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, amidst ongoing tensions related to cross-border issues.

During the post-match presentation of the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led team was notably absent from the stage, choosing not to receive the trophy from Naqvi due to the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to terrorism sponsored by Pakistan.

This decision mirrored a similar stance taken by the Indian men’s team nearly a year prior, following their Men’s Asia Cup victory.

Saikia refrained from commenting on the team’s refusal to accept the Asia Cup trophy, emphasizing his focus on their performance. He noted that the entire nation is celebrating the achievements of the women’s cricket team, which has recently triumphed over top teams, including Australia in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 semi-final, South Africa in the final, and their victories against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup.

“I do not wish to comment on that matter. My concern lies solely with our team’s performance, and the entire country is rejoicing in their success against formidable opponents both within and outside Asia. Their recent performances, including the ICC Women’s World Cup, where they defeated Australia and South Africa, and their convincing wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, are commendable,” he stated.

“Their victory in the Asian Games final against Sri Lanka by a significant margin is also noteworthy. My focus, and that of the BCCI, is on their performance. I assure you that people are extremely pleased with our team’s achievements on the field,” he concluded.