The fourth day of the Asian Games 2026 delivered India's long-awaited first gold medal, courtesy of a dominant campaign by the women's cricket team against Sri Lanka in the title clash. Beyond the pinnacle of the podium in cricket, the day unfolded with mixed fortunes across multiple disciplines. While the squad witnessed heartbreaks in shooting and the women's badminton draw, Indian athletes sustained their momentum across the boxing ring, the wushu mat, and gymnastics, locking in multiple podium finishes and advancing deeper into the medal stages.
Women's Cricket Secures First Gold with Dominant Win Over Sri Lanka
The standout highlight of the fourth day arrived on the cricket ground, where the Indian women's team captured the nation's maiden gold medal of the competition. Taking on Sri Lanka in the championship decider, the Indian lineup maintained complete tactical command, neutralising their opponents and leaving no room for a comeback. After days of competitive efforts yielding silver and bronze across other venues, this gold medal marked a critical breakthrough, bringing immense cheer to the entire Indian contingent.
Men's Badminton Squad Assures Medal by Overcoming Japan
Over on the badminton courts, the Indian men's team engineered a resolute fightback after early tremors to defeat Japan and secure at least a bronze medal. The men's squad, which had claimed a silver medal in the previous edition, showed remarkable composure in a high-stakes tie. Lakshya Sen set the turnaround in motion with an inspiring display of attacking badminton. Backing his effort, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty delivered in their doubles assignment, alongside Ayush Shetty's critical singles triumph, steering India past a formidable Japanese roster.
Women's Badminton Bows Out in Quarterfinal Clash
Contrasting the men's celebratory run, the Indian women's badminton team saw their journey come to an end in the quarterfinals against Japan, absorbing a 1-3 defeat. Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu opened proceedings against world number three Akane Yamaguchi. Sindhu dug deep to capture a tight opening game 23-21, but Yamaguchi responded by claiming the second 21-18. In the deciding third game, Sindhu struggled to contain her opponent, dropping it 6-21 to concede the first rubber.
In the subsequent singles tie, Unnati Hooda squared off against 2022 world junior champion and world number seven Tomoka Miyazaki. Despite sustained resistance, Hooda went down 16-21, 18-21, giving Japan a commanding 2-0 advantage. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, bronze medallists at the World Championships, fought valiantly to earn a doubles victory, but inconsistent singles outings ultimately sealed a 1-3 elimination for the women's team.
Roshibina Devi Advances to Semifinals in Wushu to Secure Podium Spot
In martial arts action, Roshibina Devi Naorem made sure India's medal tally would swell by securing a semifinal spot in the women's 60kg wushu category. Competing at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall, Roshibina outclassed Macau's Choo Man Sin in the quarterfinal, being declared the victor on point disparity. A silver and bronze medallist across the preceding two editions of the Asian Games, Roshibina once again exhibited exceptional technical prowess to guarantee herself at least another bronze.
Boxers Stay Unbeaten with Stunner from Sakshi Chaudhary
The Indian boxing contingent kept their undefeated momentum intact with commanding victories inside the squared circle. In the women's 51kg division, Sakshi Chaudhary produced an upset of note by unanimously overpowering Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aira Villegas of the Philippines 5-0 to book a place in the pre-quarterfinals. In the men's 55kg weight class, Jadumani Singh showcased comparable authority, brushing past Nepal's Chandra Bahadur Thapa with a clean 5-0 sweep to advance.
Pranati Nayak Enters Vault Final, Mixed Outings in Table Tennis
Artistic gymnast Pranati Nayak, competing as India's solitary gymnastics entrant, secured qualification for the vault final after finishing seventh among 19 contenders. The three-time Asian Gymnastics Championships bronze medallist held her form to claim a place in the medal round scheduled for September 24.
Inside the Sky Hall, the table tennis competition brought divergent results for the national teams. The Indian women's team held their nerve to edge Thailand 3-2 in a five-match thriller, punching their ticket to the quarterfinals. In contrast, the men's table tennis team suffered a straight 0-3 defeat against South Korea on Tuesday, bowing out of medal contention after having previously stumbled against Iran in the group stage.
Shooting Final Slips Away as Skeet Hopes Rest on Anantjeet Singh Naruka
After dominating the opening two days, India's rifle marksmen experienced a subdued outing on Tuesday. The mixed team of Elavenil Valarivan and teenager Parth Mane finished fourth and last in the 10m air rifle mixed team final. The outcome came as a disappointment given that the duo had topped the earlier phase with 634.6 points to place second in qualifying, positioning themselves as prime gold contenders before falling out of medal reckoning after the 18th shot.
Redemption remains within reach in the skeet discipline, where Anantjeet Singh Naruka is positioned near the summit with 96 hits out of 100 targets across four rounds of 25 shots each. The Olympian and World Cup Final bronze medallist, who posted scores of 24 and 25 on opening day followed by 23 and 24 on Tuesday, sits tied with four others at the top. With one final 25-target qualification round scheduled for Wednesday, Naruka holds a commanding opportunity to reach the eight-shooter final.
Hockey Romp Against Sri Lanka Counters Fencing and Karate Exits
India's men's hockey team turned their pool encounter into a one-sided exhibition, routing Sri Lanka 16-1 with an relentless scoring barrage. However, campaigns in other disciplines closed without hardware. Karateka Chetan Bhatt missed out on a podium finish, falling in his 84kg bronze medal playoff. Swimming and fencing yielded minimal joy as well, with the men's 4x100m freestyle relay squad touching the wall in last place.
