The Indian Women’s Cricket Team clinched their very first gold medal at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Their path to glory unfolded on September 24th when they triumphed over Sri Lanka by a convincing 19-run margin in the Women’s T20I final.
Notably, this victory marked India’s debut participation in the Asian Games cricket competition, while Sri Lanka had previously taken part in this event. The toss was in favor of India’s returning captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, who opted to bat first.
Although Shafali Verma’s early departure for just 9 runs posed a challenge, Smriti Mandhana (46) and Jemimah Rodrigues (42) exhibited a resilient partnership of 73 runs, bolstering their team’s total to 116/7 despite some disciplined bowling from Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s chase began with a bang as the young Titas Sadhu (3/6) unleashed a blistering spell, capturing three crucial top-order wickets during the powerplay, including the dangerous Chamari Athapaththu.
While the Sri Lankan middle-order attempted a valiant fight in the middle overs, India’s spinners maintained control over the scoring rate, strategically taking wickets at pivotal moments.
Ultimately, Sri Lanka finished their innings at 97/8, falling short of their target by 20 runs. Hasini Perera was the highest scorer for Sri Lanka, contributing 25 runs to their total.
With this historic victory, India’s women’s cricket team has etched their name in Asian Games history, securing the coveted gold medal, while Sri Lanka settled for the silver.
In the meantime, Bangladesh secured the bronze medal by defeating Pakistan in the 3rd place play-off, adding to the excitement of a memorable day for cricket in the region.
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