Asian Games, women's cricket: India, SL to clash in final
What's the story
India and Sri Lanka will lock horns in the 2026 Asian Games women's cricket competition final. The final, scheduled at Nisshin's Korogi Sports Park, will be a repeat of the gold medal match from Hangzhou 2023. India reached the 2026 final after defeating Japan and Bangladesh in the quarterfinal and semifinal, respectively. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side is the defending champion.
Journey
Journey of the two teams so far
India started their campaign by hammering Japan in the quarterfinal. They bowled Japan out for 57 before chasing the total down in five overs.
In the semifinal, India compiled 195/4 and then restricted Bangladesh to 81.
Shafali Verma, Sree Charani, and Deepti Sharma have been India's top performers so far.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka beat Malaysia by 86 runs in the quarterfinal and Pakistan by eight wickets in the semifinal.
Their captain Chamari Athapaththu has shown her all-round exploits.
Lineups
Here are the likely XIs
India Women (Likely XI): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Gunalan Kamalini, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Shreyanka Patil, Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma, and Kranti Gaud.
Sri Lanka Women (Likely XI): Imesha Dulani, Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hansima Karunaratne, Kaushani Nuthyangana (wicketkeeper), Mithali Ayodhya, Kawya Kavindi, Chamudi Praboda, and Sugandika Kumari.
Final
What happened in 2023 final?
The Indian women's team clinched the 2023 Asian Games gold medal with an emphatic 19-run triumph over Sri Lanka in the final.
Despite a solid top-order effort, India lost a flurry of wickets toward the end and eventually managed 116/7 in 20 overs.
In reply, Titas Sadhu ran through SL's top order with three quick wickets. SL managed only 97/8.
Historical context
Head-to-head record
India have a dominant record against Sri Lanka in Women's T20Is, winning 25 of the 31 matches played between the two sides. Their last defeat came back in 2024. Earlier this month, India also defeated SL in the Women's T20 Asia Cup final.
Information
Details of upcoming match
The match, starting 10:30am on September 22, will be held at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin. The pitch here has had something for both batters and bowlers so far. This match can be watched live on Sony Sports Network and streamed on the SonyLIV app and website.
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