On Tuesday, cricket icons Sachin Tendulkar, former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh extended their congratulations to the Indian women’s cricket team for securing the gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games.
Tendulkar commended the collective effort of the team, while Dhawan celebrated their consecutive victories.
India’s Triumph Over Sri Lanka
In the women’s T20 cricket final, India triumphed over Sri Lanka by a significant margin of 147 runs, marking their second consecutive gold medal at the Asian Games. This victory also marked India’s first gold in the current edition, contributing to a total of seven medals, which includes one gold, four silver, and two bronze.
Praise for Team Effort
Tendulkar emphasized the contributions of various players in India’s decisive win, stating, “The beauty of a team game lies in the different players stepping up at crucial moments. Shafali and Smriti’s 99-run partnership set the stage, Richa Ghosh’s explosive finish brought the total to 216, and our bowlers consistently took wickets. A fantastic effort by the Indian women’s team. Congratulations on the Gold!”
“The beauty of a team game lies in the different players stepping up at crucial moments. Shafali and Smriti’s 99-run partnership set the stage, Richa Ghosh’s explosive finish brought the total to 216, and our bowlers consistently took wickets. A fantastic effort by the Indian women’s team. Congratulations on the Gold!” – Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) September 22, 2026
Dhawan’s Congratulations
Dhawan also expressed his admiration for the team, stating, “What a way to bring India its first gold at the Asian Games 2026! Great performance, girls. Back-to-back Asian Games champions!”
“What a way to bring India its first gold at the Asian Games 2026! Great performance, girls. Back-to-back Asian Games champions!” – Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) September 22, 2026
Rajnath Singh’s Commendation
Rajnath Singh praised the team’s overall performance throughout the tournament, calling the victory a historic milestone. He remarked, “An exceptional game of cricket and an outstanding result! Proud of our Indian women’s cricket team for winning the first Gold Medal at the Asian Games 2026. They have played wonderfully throughout the Games. Such an impressive display of skill and teamwork. Congratulations to our team for this splendid victory and for making cricketing history at the Asian Games!”
“An exceptional game of cricket and an outstanding result! Proud of our Indian women’s cricket team for winning the first Gold Medal at the Asian Games 2026. They have played wonderfully throughout the Games. Such an impressive display of skill and teamwork. Congratulations to our team for this splendid victory and for making cricketing history at the Asian Games!” – Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 22, 2026
Dominance in the Final
In the final match, India showcased a commanding performance, scoring 216 runs for the loss of three wickets after being invited to bat. Smriti Mandhana was the standout performer, scoring 79 runs off 45 balls, while Shafali Verma contributed a quick 48 runs off 29 balls. Richa Ghosh added a crucial unbeaten 49 runs off just 22 balls.
Mandhana’s innings featured five fours and seven sixes, marking her 37th half-century in T20 internationals and making her the first woman cricketer to surpass 11,000 runs in international cricket.
Bowling Attack Dismantles Sri Lanka
India’s bowlers then dismantled the Sri Lankan batting order, bowling them out for just 69 runs in 15.4 overs. Deepti Sharma led the charge with impressive figures of 3 wickets for 6 runs, while Shafali Verma and Shreyanka Patil each took two wickets. Shree Charani also contributed with two wickets.
This 147-run victory secured India’s second consecutive gold medal in women’s cricket at the Asian Games, following their triumph in Hangzhou in 2023.