India Women Retain Asian Games Cricket Gold After Rout Of Sri Lanka

India’s women defended their Asian Games cricket title with a commanding 147-run victory over Sri Lanka in the final at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, on Tuesday. The triumph gave India its first gold medal of the ongoing Games and seventh medal overall.

Smriti Mandhana led the batting charge with a blistering 79 from 45 balls. Her innings featured five fours and seven sixes. She became the first woman cricketer to complete 11,000 international runs.

Shafali Verma added 48 from 29 deliveries, hitting three fours and three sixes. Richa Ghosh then delivered a powerful finish with an unbeaten 49 from 22 balls. Bharti Fulmali contributed seven as India posted a record 216/3.

India’s total became the highest in women’s cricket at the Asian Games. It surpassed Hong Kong’s 202/4 against Mongolia in the 2023 Hangzhou Games.

The score was also the highest in a women’s T20 final, eclipsing Brazil’s previous 210.

India’s bowlers completed the emphatic result. Deepti Sharma claimed 3/6, while Shafali Verma, Shreyanka Patil and Sree Charani took two wickets each. Sri Lanka were dismissed for 69.

Shafali removed Imesha Dulani and Hasini Perera before Deepti dismissed captain Chamari Athapaththu for 29. Deepti struck twice more, while Charani added two wickets. Shreyanka completed the win by dismissing Kaushani Nuthyangana for 14.

India had entered the final as defending champions after beating Bangladesh by 114 runs in the semi-final. Sri Lanka had defeated Pakistan to reach the title clash.

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