Really proud to see the tricolour going high – Smriti Mandhana on India’s triumph at the Asian Games

Smriti Mandhana delivered an masterclass in the Asian Games final, smashing 79 off just 45 balls. She also rocked a 19-ball-37 against Bangladesh in the semi-finals, underlining her ability to change the games in an instant.

Mandhana’s rich vein of form since the one-off Test against England has continued to be a major blessing for the Women in Blue in the span of the last couple of months.

Talking in a video released by BCCI, Mandhana opened up on the feeling of winning her second Asian Games medal while underlining the emotions of a rollicking turnaround of affairs ever since their elimination from the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Reflecting on the medal in Japan, Smriti said, “The China one (gold medal in Hangzhou, 2022) was pretty special and here again in Japan (it feels special). Really proud to see the tricolour going high. With the national anthem playing I think it is a very proud moment.”

Talking about the turnaround of affairs, Mandhana added, “It’s been good that after a disappointing World Cup, it’s good to come back to winning ways. Asia Cup and Asian Games are important tournaments but we will have to keep doing it against better opponents.”

She concluded by talking about the journey from her childhood, stating, “Never imagined that as a kid I will be playing for India, leave alone scoring runs or winning matches for India. So it’s a special occasion for all of us and the Indian fans as well, who have been right behind me and the team and it’s just the start, I would say.”