The Indian women’s cricket team created a memorable moment at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 by winning the gold medal in the women’s T20 cricket competition. The victory was especially significant for Amravati in Maharashtra because local cricketer Bharti Fulmali was part of India’s gold-medal-winning squad. Her coach, Sandip Gawande, expressed his pride in her achievement.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan. India scored 216 for three in 20 overs before bowling Sri Lanka out for 69 in 15.4 overs. The result gave India its second Asian Games gold medal in women’s cricket, following the team’s gold at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
Smriti Mandhana was the top scorer for India with 79 runs from 45 balls. Shafali Verma added 48 runs, while Richa Ghosh finished unbeaten on 49 from just 22 balls. Bharti Fulmali also contributed with the bat, scoring an unbeaten seven runs from seven balls.
India’s bowlers then produced a strong performance to restrict Sri Lanka to 69 runs. Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma and Shreyanka Patil were among the key performers as India took wickets regularly and completed a convincing victory. Chamari Athapaththu top-scored for Sri Lanka with 29 runs.
For Amravati, Bharti Fulmali’s presence in the Indian squad added a special connection to the historic victory. Her coach Sandip Gawande spoke about her development from a young cricketer into an international player and praised her aggressive batting and ability to score quickly.
Fulmali is a right-handed batter from Amravati and also represents the Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League. She has represented India at T20I level and continues to be part of the national cricket setup.
The gold medal also marked India’s first gold of the 2026 Asian Games. Pakistan won the bronze medal after defeating Bangladesh in the third-place match, while Sri Lanka finished with silver.
The victory has therefore become a proud moment not only for the Indian women’s cricket team but also for Amravati, where Fulmali’s journey has been closely followed by her coach and local cricket community. Her inclusion in the gold-medal-winning squad adds another important chapter to her growing cricket career.