Asian Games 2023: Indian Women Cricket Team Create History, Beat Sri Lanka To Win First Ever GOLD Medal, WATCH

The Indian Women cricket team created history on Monday, winning a gold medal for the first time in their history on Asian Games 2023 debut. Harmanpreet Kaur-led side defeated Sri Lanka by 19 runs in a closely-fought final at the Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field, Hangzhou, in the gold medal match to bring home India’s second gold medal of the day.

Harmanpreet, who was serving a two-match ban and missed the quarterfinal and semifinal match in Asian Games 2023, returned for the final clash and won the toss and elected to bat first. However, Chamari Athapaththu’s Sri Lanka managed to restrict them to 116 for 7 in 20 overs. Opener and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana top-scored for the Indians with 46 off 45 balls with one six and four fours.

Mandhana received good support through the innings from Jemimah Rodrigues, who notched up 42 off 40 balls with five boundaries. Harmanpreet, who was playing her first match in Asian Games 2023, was dismissed for just 2.

West Bengal’s Titas Sadhu, who made her international debut in the Asian Games 2023 semifinal against Bangladesh Women then brought the Indian side roaring back into the match by picking up two wickets in her opening over – dismissing Anushka Sanjeewani and Vishmi Gunaratne in a double-wicket first over maiden.

____ _ ___ _______#TeamIndia beat Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the #AsianGames 2022 FINAL _#Cheer4India #IndiaAtAG22 #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/sOmzIWEUQR — Doordarshan Sports (@ddsportschannel) September 25, 2023

In her second over, Delhi Capitals Women’s team pacer Titas picked up the huge wicket of Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu for 12 in her second over to reduce the Lankans to 14 for 3. A couple of 20s from Hasini Perera and Nilakshi de Silva kept Sri Lanka in the hunt but Rajeshwari Gayakwad struck a couple of crucial blows late in the innings to scuttle Sri Lanka’s chase.

After the heartbreak of losing the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medal match to Australia, the Asian Games medal will be much-desired result for Harmanpreet Kaur’s side. However, there was disappointment in store for Pakistan women cricket team as they lost their Bronze medal match to Bangladesh Women team.

The Asian Games 2023 will be the first time that Pakistan Women cricket team will finished outside the top three position. Bangladesh Women team restricted Pakistan to 64 for 9 and chased down the modest target for the loss of 5 wickets with 10 balls to spare.

Brief Scores: India Women 116 for 7 (Smriti Mandhana 46, Jemimah Rodrigues 42) bt Sri Lanka Women 97 for 8 (Titas Sadhu 3/6, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 2/20)