India’s women’s cricket team is set to receive national recognition for its gold medal-winning performance at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet India’s Asian Games medallists at his residence in New Delhi on October 15 at 4:30 pm. The ceremony will celebrate the achievements of athletes across several disciplines, including both the men’s and women’s cricket teams.
Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s women successfully defended their Asian Games title with a commanding 147-run victory over Sri Lanka in the final.
India Celebrate 85 Medals at Asian Games 2026
India completed the 2026 Asian Games with 85 medals, including 21 golds, finishing fourth in the overall medal standings. The contingent secured medals across several sports, including archery, wrestling, boxing, hockey, athletics and shooting.
Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams won gold, adding to India’s success in team competitions.
The October 15 felicitation ceremony will bring together medal winners from different disciplines to recognise their performances in Japan.
India’s two cricket teams will be among those honoured after winning gold in their respective tournaments.
India Women Begin Campaign With Victory Over Japan
India’s women’s cricket team opened its Asian Games campaign with a convincing eight-wicket victory against Japan in the quarter-finals.
The Indian bowlers dominated the contest, dismissing Japan for just 57 runs.
Left-arm spinner Shree Charani delivered an exceptional performance, claiming four wickets for only 10 runs in four overs, including two maidens.
Shafali Verma also contributed with the ball, taking two wickets before producing an explosive innings during the chase.
The opener struck 40 runs from just 15 deliveries as India completed the target in five overs.
Her all-round performance ensured India progressed comfortably into the semi-finals.
Shafali Verma Stars in Semi-Final Against Bangladesh
India continued their impressive form with a comprehensive 114-run victory over Bangladesh in the semi-finals.
Batting first, the Indian team posted 195/4 before dismissing Bangladesh for only 81.
Shafali maintained her excellent batting form throughout the competition and eventually finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 188 runs.
The victory secured India’s place in the gold medal match against Sri Lanka, providing an opportunity to retain the title won at the previous Asian Games.
Smriti Mandhana Leads Dominant Final Against Sri Lanka
India delivered their strongest performance of the tournament in the final, defeating Sri Lanka by 147 runs to secure the gold medal.
Batting first, India accumulated an imposing 216/3 from their 20 overs.
Smriti Mandhana led the scoring with a brilliant 79 from 45 deliveries, hitting five fours and seven sixes.
Wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 49 from just 22 balls, helping India establish a challenging target.
Sri Lanka struggled against India’s disciplined bowling attack and were dismissed for 69 in 15.4 overs.
Deepti Sharma was particularly impressive, returning figures of 3/6 from four overs, including a maiden.
The comprehensive victory confirmed India’s successful title defence and added another gold medal to the country’s overall tally.
Key Performers in India’s Gold Medal Campaign
Several players made important contributions throughout India’s unbeaten campaign.
- Smriti Mandhana: Scored 79 from 45 balls in the final against Sri Lanka.
- Shafali Verma: Finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 188 runs.
- Richa Ghosh: Struck an unbeaten 49 from 22 deliveries in the final.
- Deepti Sharma: Claimed 3/6 in four overs against Sri Lanka.
- Shree Charani: Took 4/10 against Japan in the quarter-finals.
- Harmanpreet Kaur: Captained India to another Asian Games gold medal.
The team’s performances demonstrated its strength in batting and bowling, with different players delivering decisive contributions throughout the competition.
India’s Men’s Cricket Team Also Set for Felicitation
India’s men’s cricket team will also be recognised at the ceremony after securing gold at the Asian Games.
Captain Shreyas Iyer led the team through a successful campaign that included important contributions from Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma.
Kishan played a crucial innings in the semi-final against Sri Lanka, scoring 80 from 46 balls to help India reach the final.
In the gold medal match against Pakistan, Tilak produced an unbeaten 51 from just 22 deliveries.
India went on to defeat Pakistan by 19 runs, completing a successful tournament and adding another gold to the national medal tally.
The men’s and women’s cricket teams will therefore join other medal-winning athletes at the Prime Minister’s residence.
Asian Games Gold Winners to Receive National Recognition
The felicitation ceremony will recognise India’s performances across the 2026 Asian Games, where the country finished fourth with 85 medals.
For the women’s cricket team, the occasion will celebrate a successful title defence built on strong individual performances and consistent teamwork.
From Charani’s early breakthroughs against Japan to Shafali’s aggressive batting, Mandhana’s match-defining innings and Deepti’s exceptional bowling in the final, India produced a series of convincing victories.
The team’s 147-run triumph over Sri Lanka secured another Asian Games gold and reinforced its success in international women’s cricket.
Both cricket teams will now be recognised alongside India’s other medal winners for their contributions to the country’s Asian Games campaign.
