Asian Games 2023: Indian women bag first ever gold in T20 cricket

Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues stitched a crucial 73-run partnership, and young fast-bowling all-rounder Titas Sadhu delivered a deadly spell of 3 wickets for 6 runs in four overs to help India beat Sri Lanka by 19 runs and win the country's first gold medal in the women’s T20 event at the Asian Games 2023.

The Asian Games gold is a huge prize for the team given their heartbreak at last year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where they ended up with silver after losing to Australia.

With India electing to bat first, Smriti and Jemimah made 46 and 42 respectively before India lost wickets at the fag end to finish with 116/7. Titas, player of the match in this year’s U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup final for her spell of 2-6, then picked up three wickets in a spell marked by pinpoint accuracy, including a double-wicket maiden.

Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad took two wickets while Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar and Devika Vaidya bagged a scalp each to contribute to India's win in its first-ever participation in the event, with Sri Lanka finishing on 97/8.