India smash record 13 sixes to retain Asian Games Gold
A total of 216 proved too much for Sri Lanka to chase as they folded for a paltry 69
India successfully defended their Gold medal in the women's cricket discipline at the 2026 Asian Games with a thumping victory over Sri Lanka in the rematch of the 2023 final. The massive 147-run win in the summit clash at Korogi Sports Park was set up by a blistering batting performance that produced India's T20I best of 13 sixes in an innings of 216, which as it turned out was just five short of their highest total in the format, set against the same opposition in Thiruvananthapuram last December.
As in that fixture, the total was built on the back of Smriti Mandhana (79 off 45), Shafali Verma (48 off 29) and Richa Ghosh (49* off 22). Mandhana and Verma put on 99 in the first 10 overs, with the left-hander setting the tone early by taking down Sugandika Kumari. She raced away to her 37th T20I half-century off just 30 balls. Verma, fresh off a century in the semifinal, matched her stride for stride, hitting three sixes and as many fours before miscuing an attempted reverse sweep off Chamudi Praboda.
Harmanpreet Kaur, who walked in at No.3 on the back of that big opening partnership, was part of a brief lull in the proceedings. The Indian captain took time to find her range, managing just 10 off her first 13 balls before a pair of boundaries. She fell for 19 attempting to clear long-off. At the other end, though, Mandhana continued in her merry ways and looked set for a hundred until a slog sweep found the fielder in the deep.
There was still batting to come. Richa Ghosh, whose prowess haven't come to the fore lately, cut loose to provide a blistering finish. She struck six fours, three sixes, and helped plunder 25 in the final over that carried India past 200 and left Sri Lanka, fresh off a record chase of their own in the semifinal, needing something extraordinary.
They never got close. Barring Chamari Athapaththu's 29 at the top, Sri Lanka couldn't build any momentum, and India's spin quartet choked any remaining life in the game. Deepti Sharma took 3 for 6 while Shree Charani. Shreyanka Patil and Shafali Verma took a brace each to end the one-sided contest.
Brief scores: India 216/3 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 79, Richa Ghosh 49*, Shafali Verma 48; Chamudi Praboda 1-34) beat Sri Lanka 69 in 15.4 overs (Deepti Sharma 3-6, Shree Charani 2-13, Shafali Verma 2-3) by 147 runs
