India, which retained the women\u2019s cricket title from the previous edition, posted 216\/3 before dismissing Sri Lanka for 69. The victory gave the country its first gold medal of the 2026 edition. It came after a campaign shaped by a demanding international schedule, unfamiliar playing conditions and a short turnaround between matches.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been fantastic. I\u2019m really happy that you know that finally that left-hand side column (Gold) has got one medal and I\u2019m sure post this, there\u2019ll be a streak of Gold medals for India at the Games hereon,\u201d Muzumdar told IANS after India\u2019s second successive Asiad gold.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The result followed India\u2019s recent Asia Cup triumph in Dubai, with Muzumdar underlining the physical and tactical adjustments players needed as they moved from one tournament to another.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cEvery tournament has got its own significance; every tournament has got its own pressures. The demands are different. So I guess it wasn\u2019t easy going into Dubai and winning the Asia Cup. The humidity level over there was very high, and the conditions were tough, but you know, hats off to every player; they stuck at it, and they showed very good performance in the Asia Cup in Dubai. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cBut coming from Dubai straight into Japan, straight to Tokyo and then to Nagoya, it\u2019s been a fabulous journey for everyone. There were demands of this tournament as well. We didn\u2019t know what conditions we would get over here. There was a hybrid pitch, and they adapted to the pitch conditions and the overhead conditions really well.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India\u2019s batting set the tone for the final. Smriti Mandhana struck 79 from 45 deliveries, Shafali Verma made 48 off 29, and Richa Ghosh added an unbeaten 49 from 22 balls. The combined effort took India to the highest total recorded in women\u2019s cricket at the Asian Games.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Muzumdar said the team\u2019s preparation window between matches also helped the players settle into the conditions before the decisive stages of the competition, stating, \u201cYeah, we did. We played a game on 18th, and then we had a break on 19, and then we played the semifinals on the 20th. So we had a couple of days' break, and we used it really well.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The bowlers then completed the victory, with Deepti Sharma taking three wickets and Shafali Verma and Sree Charani claiming two each. Sri Lanka\u2019s chase never gathered momentum as India maintained pressure throughout the innings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Away from the field, Muzumdar said the team had also enjoyed its time in Japan, particularly the hospitality and local cuisine.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI enjoyed Japan. I thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality and the food here. I\u2019m a foodie, as I said before, so I enjoyed the food here too. We explored the city and the food. It\u2019s been fantastic so far in Japan.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
For Muzumdar, the celebrations will be the culmination of a preparation process that began well before the Asian Games. He credited the players and support staff for sustaining their effort through the campaign.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI enjoyed Japan. I thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality and the food here. I\u2019m a foodie, as I said before, so I enjoyed the food here too. We explored the city and the food. It\u2019s been fantastic so far in Japan.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India\u2019s victory over Sri Lanka extended its dominance in the women\u2019s cricket event at the Asian Games, with the team now holding gold medals from both editions in which the sport has featured.<\/p>\r\n\r\n