Asian Games 2026: Shafali, Smriti and Sree Charani Power India to Back-to-Back Cricket Gold

India’s women’s cricket team successfully defended its Asian Games title, winning the gold medal for the second consecutive edition. In the final in Nagoya, Japan, India defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs after posting 216/3. Opener Shafali Verma emerged as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 188 runs in three innings, including a century against Bangladesh. Smriti Mandhana also played a key role, scoring 116 runs across the tournament, including a brilliant 79 in the final. The opening pair provided India with strong starts throughout the competition.

Telugu spinner Sree Charani was equally influential with the ball, finishing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with eight wickets in three matches. She produced a four-wicket haul against Japan and also contributed with the ball against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Deepti Sharma added seven wickets to India’s campaign. Shafali also contributed with the ball, while the combined efforts of the batting and bowling units helped India complete a dominant title defence.