India won the women's T20 cricket gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, defeating Sri Lanka in the final on Tuesday to defend the continental title they won at the previous edition of the Games. The match, held in the Nisshin area of the Aichi region, reprised two recent rivalries in one: it was not only a rematch of the last Asian Games final but also a repeat of the Asia Cup summit clash, which India had also won earlier this month.

India won the toss and chose to bat first, with the side built around experienced players including all-rounder Deepti Sharma and wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh. The decision to set a target reflected India's confidence coming into the final — the team had been one of the dominant forces across women's cricket in Asia in recent months, and arrived in Nagoya with momentum from their Asia Cup triumph.

The gold medal was particularly significant for India's overall campaign at the Games. After nine days of competition, India had accumulated six medals — four silver and two bronze — but had yet to claim a gold. The women's cricket victory ended that wait and delivered the top prize the delegation had been seeking.

The result adds another chapter to what has become a consistent India-Sri Lanka rivalry at the top of Asian women's cricket. Sri Lanka, themselves a competitive and experienced T20 side, pushed India across both the Asia Cup and the Asian Games cycle, but could not overturn the result in either final.

India's broader performance at the Aichi-Nagoya Games extended across multiple disciplines on Tuesday. The men's kabaddi team thrashed South Korea 63–31 to remain top of their group, while the women's badminton team, including two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, exited the tournament after a 1–3 quarterfinal loss to Japan. The cricket gold nonetheless stands as the headline achievement of the day for the Indian contingent.