Defending champions India-W lock horns with Sri Lanka-W in Asian Games gold medal battle
Having already secured their ticket to the Asian Games 2026 final, India-W will aim to build on their momentum as they meet a familiar foe in Sri Lanka-W. India’s recent triumph against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final underlined their collective strength and the growing surge in their bowling unit.
As Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana continue to sprinkle magic, India will once again be pinning their hopes on the star-studded opening duo for a fiery start. However, the pressure will also be on middle-order batters Gunalan Kamalini and Bharti Fulmali, as the duo still seeks consistency and big scores.
India’s new spin attack has been sensational with N Sree Charani leading the charge while Deepti Sharma has complemented her brilliantly. Nandani Sharma dropped a masterclass in the last game, claiming a three-fer against Bangladesh and will be one of the key weapons for India in the gold-medal clash.
Sri Lanka got off to a roaring start in the tournament with a 90-run win against Malaysia before Chamari Athapaththu led a superlative charge to chase down a monumental total of 178, securing them the ticket to the summit clash. Sri Lanka will be banking heavily upon their skipper, Chamari, whose all-round presence continues to fuel hopes for the side. Apart from her, Sri Lanka also has a flurry of experienced names in the form of Hasini Perera, Imesha Dulani and Harshitha Samarawickrama who can add to their batting depth.
Venue Watch:
The pitch has been fairly conducive to the batters so far with the ball coming nicely onto the bat. One can expect a high-scoring contest with the kind of form that the teams have shown in recent times. As the game progresses, one might also hope for spinners to get some assistance from the surface.
Match details:
Match: India vs Sri Lanka, Final, Asian Games
Venue: Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin
Date: 22nd September, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM IST
Head-to-head:
Matches played – 31
India – 25
Sri Lanka - 5
Squads:
India:
Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), G. Kamalini (wicket-keeper), Bharti Fulmali, Sree Charani, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Nandni Sharma, Pratika Rawal
Sri Lanka:
Chamari Athapaththu (c), Imesha Dulani, Sanjana Kavindi, Hansima Karunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Anushka Sanjeewani, Kaveesha Dilhari, Hasini Perera, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Nimasha Meepage, Sugandika Kumari, Rashmika Sewwandi, Chamudi Praboda, Mithali Ayodhya, Kawya Kavindi
