Huge congratulations to our women power: Bengal Sports Minister hails Indias Asian Games gold in cricket

The Indian women's team continued their sensational run at the continental level, capturing their second successive Asian Games gold medal after fireworks from Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, as the spinners bowled Women in Blue to a massive 147-run win in the title clash against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

In reply to India's massive 216/3, Sri Lanka folded for 69 in 15.4 overs.

With this win, India secured their first Asian Games gold of this edition, having already secured four silvers and two bronze medals. This is India's seventh medal at the ongoing Asian Games.

Speaking to ANI, Indranil Khan congratulated the Indian womens cricket team for winning the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026, saying their achievement would inspire the younger generation.

Huge congratulations to our women power, to our girls. The way our Indian women brought home the gold at the Asian Games and gave the country its first gold medal in the 2026 Asian Games, we express our gratitude and congratulate them. It is a great privilege for us because our new generation gets to see the Indian women's team, he said.

Khan said West Bengal is promoting womens cricket and praised the performance of Bengal players, particularly Richa Ghosh, in Indias gold-medal victory. He added that the teams success has inspired greater interest in womens cricket and said they were looking forward to felicitating the players.

And keeping that in mind, we are also promoting women's cricket in West Bengal. It is very inspiring and congratulations. And today they played very well. Our Bengal cricketers also played so well today. So our Siliguri didi also played very well, our Richa di, and the way they finished it brilliantly today, India's score also became very good. So we are all watching women's cricket now and today in women's cricket, the way our women bring glory to India, we are very much indebted to our women power. We are waiting to felicitate them, he said.

Coming to the match, India posted a formidable 216/3 after being asked to bat. Smriti Mandhana top-scored with 79 off 45 balls, while Shafali Verma made a brisk 48 off 29 deliveries. Richa Ghosh provided the late impetus with an unbeaten 49 off 22 balls.

Mandhana's innings included five fours and seven sixes, while her half-century was her 37th in T20 internationals. She also became the first woman cricketer to reach 11,000 runs in international cricket.

India's bowlers then dismantled the Sri Lankan batting line-up, dismissing them for 69 in 15.4 overs. Deepti Sharma led the attack with figures of 3/6, while Shafali Verma and Shreyanka Patil claimed two wickets each. Shree Charani also picked up two wickets. The 147-run victory secured India's second consecutive Asian Games gold in women's cricket, following their title at Hangzhou in 2023. (ANI)