Shafali, Smriti blitz India to record total in Asian Games final

India's women's cricket team put up a mountain of runs against Sri Lanka in the final of the 2026 Asian Games. After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, India scored 216 runs for the loss of three wickets in their 20 overs. In this historic innings, opener Smriti Mandhana set a record never achieved before in the history of women's cricket. The result was the aggressive cricket India played from the very start of this gold medal contest.

India adopted an aggressive approach right from the start of the final. Opening the innings, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana took the Sri Lankan bowlers apart, putting on 99 runs for the first wicket in just 9.2 overs. Shafali Verma batted aggressively to score 48 runs off 29 balls, including three fours and three sixes. Though she missed her half century by just two runs, she gave the team the explosive start it needed for the final. The onslaught from the two batters forced the Sri Lankan bowlers onto the back foot from the outset.

Even after Shafali got out, Smriti Mandhana's bat kept blazing. Mandhana played a memorable innings of 79 runs off just 45 balls at a strike rate of 175.56, including five fours and as many as seven sixes. During this innings, Smriti Mandhana reached the milestone of 11,000 runs in international women's cricket. Notably, she became the first and only player in the history of women's cricket to reach this milestone. On the back of the two openers, India set Sri Lanka a big target of 216 runs for the gold medal.

The innings also underlined Shafali Verma's recent form. Her scores in her last five matches read as follows: 64 off 40 balls in the Asia Cup semifinal, 68 off 39 balls in the Asia Cup final, an unbeaten 40 off 15 balls in the Asian Games quarterfinal, an unbeaten 100 off 49 balls in the semifinal, and 48 off 29 balls in the final. This consistent form has made her the leading run scorer in the world in a calendar year. In 2026, Shafali Verma has scored 863 runs, while in the same year South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt has scored 824 and Hong Kong's Natasha Miles has scored 800. Further down the list are the UAE's Esha Oza with 779 runs in 2025 and Hong Kong's Yasmin Daswani with 779 runs in 2026.