Asian Games 2026: India Face Sri Lanka in Gold-Medal Rematch as Shafali Verma Leads Charge

Defending champions India will face Sri Lanka in the women’s cricket final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Tuesday, with the gold-medal contest offering a repeat of the final from Hangzhou 2023.

The match will be played at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, with the first ball scheduled for 10:30 AM IST. India enter the contest after a dominant run through the knockout stage, while Sri Lanka will look to overturn their recent record against the defending champions and avenge their defeat in the previous Asian Games final.

At the centre of India’s campaign is Shafali Verma, whose outstanding form has added another dimension to an already strong batting line-up.

India began their knockout campaign with a convincing eight-wicket victory over hosts Japan in the quarterfinal. The win was built around a strong bowling performance, with Sree Charani claiming four wickets, before Shafali Verma finished the chase unbeaten on 40.

India then produced an even more emphatic performance against Bangladesh in the semifinal, winning by 114 runs. Shafali was the headline-maker once again, becoming the first player male or female to score a century at the Asian Games. Her unbeaten hundred powered India to 195/4 and gave the defending champions a commanding platform.

The two performances have established a clear pattern heading into the final: India’s top order is producing runs, while the bowling attack is also finding regular breakthroughs.

Sree Charani and Deepti Sharma have been among India's wicket-takers during the tournament, giving the team balance across both departments.

Shafali’s form a major talking point

Shafali enters the final having carried her recent international form directly into the Asian Games. She scored fifties in the Asia Cup semifinal and final, remaining unbeaten on 40 against Japan before producing her record-breaking century against Bangladesh.

Her performances have come alongside Smriti Mandhana, giving India an experienced and aggressive opening combination. The timing of Shafali’s form is particularly notable. India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Asia Cup final in Dubai earlier this month, with both Mandhana and Shafali contributing half-centuries.

The Asian Games final will therefore be the second major continental final between the two sides in a matter of days.

Sri Lanka have also navigated the knockout stage comfortably. They defeated Malaysia by 86 runs in their quarterfinal before beating Pakistan by eight wickets in the semifinal to book their place in the gold-medal match. Captain Chamari Athapaththu has been central to that run. She enters the final as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, with 146 runs from two matches, while also contributing three wickets.

Her all-round influence will be important if Sri Lanka are to challenge India. Alongside Athapaththu, Sri Lanka have a number of experienced players capable of putting pressure on the Indian bowling attack. The final therefore presents a contest between an Indian side in strong recent form and a Sri Lankan team that has also progressed convincingly through the knockout stage.

The overall T20I head-to-head record provides another significant statistical backdrop to the final. India have won 25 of the 31 T20Is played between the two sides, while Sri Lanka have won five. One match ended without a result.

India have also won the last seven meetings between the teams, with Sri Lanka’s most recent victory coming in 2024. Those numbers provide historical context, but the final itself will be decided by what happens on the day. Sri Lanka will have an opportunity to change the recent pattern in the biggest match of the tournament.

The contest also carries added significance because it is a repeat of the Hangzhou 2023 gold-medal match, giving Sri Lanka another opportunity to challenge India for the continental title.

India’s objective is straightforward: retain the Asian Games women’s cricket title. The defending champions have already demonstrated their strength during the knockout stage, combining Shafali’s batting form with contributions from their bowling unit. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, arrive after two convincing knockout victories and have a leading run-scorer in Athapaththu capable of influencing the final with both bat and ball.

The stage is therefore set for another India-Sri Lanka final, with the teams meeting for Asian Games gold once again.

When: Tuesday, September 22, 10:30 AM IST
Venue: Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin
Live streaming: Sony LIV
TV: Sony Sports 1, with regional-language coverage on Sony Sports 3/3 HD and Sony Sports 4

For India, another Asian Games gold would complete a successful title defence. For Sri Lanka, victory would mean reversing both the result of the previous Asian Games final and a recent sequence of defeats against their neighbours.

And with Shafali Verma arriving in Nisshin at the peak of her form, India will have a major batting threat at the top of the order as they chase another continental title.