Asian Games 2026: First Gold comes house as spinners bowl India to girls’s cricket title

Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], September 22 (ANI): The Indian girls’s crew continued their sensational run on the continental degree, capturing their second successive Asian Games gold medal as after fireworks from Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, the spinners bowled Women in Blue to an enormous 147-run win within the title conflict towards Sri Lanka on Tuesday. 

With this win, India has secured their first Asian Games gold of this version, having already secured 4 silvers and two bronze medals. This is India’s seventh medal on the ongoing Asian Games. In reply to India’s huge 216/3, Sri Lanka folded for 69 in 15.4 overs. 

During the run-chase of 217 runs, Chamari Athapaththu and Imesha Dulani didn’t get a high-quality begin as Dulani grew to become Shafali Verma’s first sufferer, stumped by Richa Ghosh for 3 runs. Sri Lanka was 18/1 in 2.5 overs. 

Skipper Chamari then again, appeared in high-quality nick, scoring two boundaries every towards Nandini Sharma and Kranti Gaud of their respective overs. 

Hasini Perera was the second sufferer of Shafali, handing a straightforward catch to Bharti Fulmali at cowl as she got here down the pitch for a giant hit. Sri Lanka was 30/2 in 4.2 overs Hasini was gone for a three-ball duck. 

Sri Lanka ended the powerplay at 41/2 in six overs, with Chamari (27*) and Kavisha Dilhari (6*) unbeaten. 

Deepti Sharma, who had dismissed the Lankan skipper within the Asia Cup closing, had the final snigger in Japan too, eradicating her for 21-ball 29, with 5 fours, with Bharti getting one other catch. Sri Lanka was 43/3 in 6.5 overs. 

Spinners continued to benefit from the wicket-taking get together as  Harshitha Samarawickrama (0) was caught and bowled by Shreyanka Patil for a two-ball duck. Sri Lanka had been 44/4 in 7.3 overs. 

Shree Charani additionally registered her title amongst wicket-takers, getting Hansima Karunaratne for one run in 4 balls. Sri Lanka was 49/5 in 8.4 overs, with Bharti Fulmali getting one other catch. 

The collapse continued, with every wicket getting India near the gold. Deepti eliminated Kavisha Dilhari for 13-ball 11. SL was decreased to 49/6 in 9.1 overs. 

Sri Lanka continued to lose a wicket each over, with Charani getting Kawya Kavindi (two in six balls) within the eleventh over. SL was 52/7 in 10.2 overs. 

Sugandika Kumari grew to become Deepti’s third sufferer, dismissed for a 12-ball three. Sri Lanka was 63/8 in 13.1 overs. 

Mithali Ayodhya’s run-out restricted Sri Lanka to 64/9 in fifteenth over.  Shreyanka Patil received the ultimate wicket as Sri Lanka was restricted to 69 all out in 15.4 overs. 

Deepti (3/6 in 4 overs) and Charani (2/13 in 4 overs) had been the highest bowlers for India. Shafali (2/3 in two overs) and Shreyanka (2/9 in 1.4 overs) had been additionally distinctive. 

Earlier, Smriti Mandhana’s 79 and a late assault from Richa Ghosh helped Harmanpreet Kaur-led India submit a frightening 216/3 towards Sri Lanka within the girls’s cricket gold medal match on the Asian Games 2026.

Batting first, India made a brisk begin as opener Smriti Mandhana struck two boundaries within the opening over bowled by Sugandika Kumari.

Mandhana maintained the aggressive method within the third over, hitting two successive sixes off Kumari as India reached 25/0. In the next over, Shafali Verma and Mandhana added 15 runs off Mithali Ayodhya’s over to take India’s rating to 40/0.

During the fifth over, bowled by Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, Mandhana and Verma continued their attacking show, smashing 19 runs, together with three sixes, as India raced to 59/0. At the tip of the powerplay, the Women in Blue had strengthened their place, reaching 67/0.

On the second ball of the tenth over, Mandhana introduced up her thirty seventh T20I half-century. She additionally grew to become the primary lady cricketer to succeed in 11,000 runs in worldwide cricket. However, later in the identical over, Chamudi Praboda dismissed Shafali, who scored a brisk 48 off 29 balls, together with three fours and three sixes. Praboda additionally broke India’s essential 99-run opening partnership.

After the tip of the thirteenth over, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Mandhana took India to 123/1. However, on the fourth ball of the fifteenth over, Kavisha Dilhari broke the 42-run partnership for the second wicket by dismissing Harmanpreet Kaur for 19 off 17 balls, together with three fours, as India reached 142/2.

The runs continued to circulation as Richa Ghosh and Smriti Mandhana mixed to attain 15 runs off Chamudi Praboda’s sixteenth over, taking India to 157/2.

Sri Lanka received the much-needed wicket of Smriti Mandhana when Sugandika Kumari dismissed the Indian opener for a 45-ball 79, together with 5 fours and 7 sixes, on the fifth ball of the seventeenth over, with India at 163/3.

However, Richa Ghosh stored the momentum going within the following over, smashing 14 runs off Kawya Kavindi as India raced to 182/3 regardless of shedding Mandhana within the earlier over.

During the twentieth over, wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh took the assault to Mithali Ayodhya, smashing 17 runs as India posted a frightening 216/3, the highest-ever whole in girls’s cricket on the Asian Games.

Richa remained unbeaten on 49 off 22 balls, together with six fours and three sixes. For Sri Lanka, Chamudi Praboda, Kavisha Dilhari and Sugandika Kumari claimed one wicket every. 

Brief Scores: India: 216/3 (Smriti Mandhana 79, Richa Ghosh 49, Chamudi Praboda 1/34) beat Sri Lanka: 69/4 in 15.4 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 29, Kaushani Nuthyangana 14, Deepti Sharma 3/6). (ANI)