India crush Sri Lanka by 147 runs to retain Asian Games cricket gold — SkimNews
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- India beat Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the Asian Games women's T20 cricket final in Hangzhou, successfully defending their gold medal from the previous edition.
- Smriti Mandhana smashed 79 runs off just 45 balls, including seven sixes and five fours — an individual score 10 runs higher than Sri Lanka's entire innings total of 69.
- India posted 216-3 from their 20 overs, the highest women's total in Asian Games history, racking up 18 fours and 13 sixes, with Richa Ghosh clattering 49 off 22 balls in a savage final over.
- Sri Lanka were bowled out for 69 in 15.4 overs, with captain Chamari Athapaththu's 29 the only notable contribution as they had to settle for silver.
- Shafali Verma contributed 48 off 29 balls in a blistering 99-run opening stand with Mandhana before falling to an ill-advised reverse sweep, having scored an unbeaten century in the semifinal.
- Pakistan claimed the bronze medal, defeating Bangladesh after captain Fatima Sana's rescue act — she scored 45 off 30 balls to lift her side from 67-5 to 145-8, a total Bangladesh fell 31 runs short of chasing.
Why it matters: India's 147-run margin and record 216-3 total underline their dominance in Asian women's cricket, with Mandhana's individual score exceeding Sri Lanka's team total — a result that cements India's status as the gold standard in the region heading into future ICC events. Sri Lanka, despite Athapaththu's leadership, were outclassed in every department.
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