The Indian women's cricket team clinched the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 after handing Sri Lanka a crushing 147-run defeat in the final. The triumph marked consecutive gold medals for India, having previously captured top honors in 2023. At the heart of this comprehensive victory was an explosive batting performance from Smriti Mandhana, who fell short of a century but compiled a magnificent 79 off 45 balls to reach a historic scoring benchmark that no female batter in the sport had ever touched before.
Smriti Mandhana Becomes the First Female Cricketer to Reach 11,000 International Runs
With her match-winning knock in the final, Mandhana became the first and only woman in the history of international cricket to amass 11,000 runs across all formats. This milestone arrived right after she surpassed the long-standing record of former Indian captain Mithali Raj, who concluded her international career with a tally of 10,868 runs. Mandhana broke that aggregate record in the preceding contest and has now elevated the standard even further by crossing the historic 11,000-run barrier.
A Detailed Breakdown of Mandhana's Career Across All Formats
Mandhana's international record reflects remarkable consistency across formats. In Test cricket, she has represented India in 9 matches, accumulating 788 runs highlighted by 2 centuries and 5 half-centuries. In the One Day International arena, she has made 120 appearances, compiling 5,411 runs while registering 14 hundreds and 35 fifties. Her record in T20 Internationals includes 179 matches, in which she has collected 4,867 runs courtesy of 2 centuries and 37 half-centuries.
How India Dominated Sri Lanka in the Asian Games Title Clash
India seized control of the final from the outset, batting first and posting a commanding total of 216 runs. Mandhana led the offensive charge with her blistering 79-run knock off 45 deliveries, punishing the bowling with 5 boundaries and 7 sixes. She was ably supported by Shafali Verma, who contributed 48 runs at the top, while Richa Ghosh provided late-innings fireworks with a rapid 49 from just 22 balls. Chasing an imposing target, the Sri Lankan batting lineup folded meekly, managing only 69 runs before being bowled out as India secured gold with an emphatic 147-run margin.
