Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

India's women cricket team strike gold at Asian Games

Bangladesh win bronze by defeating defending champions Pakistan

India's women cricket team strike gold at Asian Games

INDIA struck gold on their Asian Games cricket debut when they beat in-form Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the women's final in Hangzhou on Monday (25).

"It's a gold medal for the whole of India," said batter Richa Ghosh.

Batting first, India reached 116-7 in their 20 overs with Smriti Mandhana (46) and Jemimah Rodrigues (42) putting on 73 for the second wicket.

"Winning a gold medal is something you dream about," said Rodrigues.

"It's a reward for all the efforts we have put in over so many years."

Sri Lanka's chase started badly when they were reduced to 14-3 in the fifth over by a devastating spell from right-arm seamer Titas Sadhu.

She took two wickets in her first four balls and another in her third over to finish with remarkable figures of three wickets for six runs.

Sri Lanka, who had beaten England in a white-ball series for the first time earlier this month, were always behind the run rate despite Hasini Perera looking to accelerate, hitting four fours and a six in a rapid 25.

When Nilakshi de Silva was out after a battling 23, Sri Lanka were 78-5 needing 39 more with only 23 balls remaining.

Two more wickets saw them face a near-impossible 25 off the last over and could only muster five as India began to celebrate.

"It's a golden first for us," India assistant coach Rajib Dutta said. "Many more to come I hope.

"It's a low-scoring wicket so we thought 110 would be a good score, but when Jemimah and Mandhana were together we thought 130-135 might be possible so we were a little disappointed by 116," he added.

Sri Lankan all-rounder Oshadi Ranasinghe said they had missed a good opportunity to win gold.

"Looking at the way we batted, we have to get more disciplined," she said.

'The pitch was turning'

Accumulating runs has not been easy all tournament at the Zhejiang University for Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field, on a flaky wicket affected by rain last week.

India won the toss and opted to bat even though both semi-finals and the bronze medal match were won by the team chasing.

They lost star opener Shafali Verma with the score on 16, but steadied to 35-1 at the end of the six-over power play where only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-metre circle.

When Mandhana fell for 46 with the score on 89 in the 15th over, it sparked a succession of dismissals that stalled India's momentum when a testing total in excess of 130 had looked more likely.

Rodrigues, who had been not out 47 and 20 in her two previous Asian Games outings, was finally dismissed in the last over for 42.

"We had also struggled while batting on this pitch, so we thought we could defend this total," said Ghosh, who smashed a huge six in her cameo of nine off six balls.

"The pitch was turning and holding up a little bit."

Bangladesh took the bronze after restricting Pakistan to 64-9 and crawling to their target of 65 in 18.2 overs in their medal playoff.

It meant Pakistan, who won the gold on both previous occasions that cricket was played in the Asian Games, return home empty-handed.

"It's not a good feeling. We never got enough runs on the board," said Pakistan coach Mohtashim Rasheed.

(AFP)

More For You

Syed Abid Ali

Abid Ali made his Test debut in December 1967 against Australia in Adelaide, taking 6/55 in the first innings—his best bowling figures in Test cricket. (Photo: BCCI)

Former India allrounder Syed Abid Ali passes away at 83

FORMER India allrounder Syed Abid Ali died on Wednesday after a prolonged illness. He was 83.

Abid Ali, who was known for his all-round abilities and sharp fielding, passed away in the United States. He was part of a distinguished group of Hyderabad cricketers that included MAK Pataudi, ML Jaisimha, and Abbas Ali Baig.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ben Stokes considered to lead England’s white-ball teams after Buttler’s exit

Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes considered to lead England’s white-ball teams after Buttler’s exit

Eastern Eye

ENGLAND cricket chiefs are considering Test captain Ben Stokes as a potential leader for the struggling white-ball teams following Jos Buttler’s resignation.

Rob Key, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) managing director for men’s cricket, confirmed last week that “nothing’s off the table” when it comes to finding Buttler’s replacement for both the 50-over and Twenty20 sides.

Keep ReadingShow less
All England Open: Satwik-Chirag duo storm into second round

FILE PHOTO: Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (Photo by Morgan Harlow/Getty Images)

All England Open: Satwik-Chirag duo storm into second round

INDIA's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the second round of the men’s doubles competition at the All England Open with a straight-game victory over Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard on Wednesday (12).

Returning to the court after his father’s loss last month, Satwik, along with his doubles partner Chirag, put on an impressive display, securing a 21-17, 21-15 win in just 40 minutes.

Keep ReadingShow less
London Marathon 2025

Historic race set to feature the biggest field ever

iStock

London Marathon 2025 set to welcome record-breaking number of runners

The 2025 London Marathon is set to break records as the world’s largest marathon, with over 56,000 runners expected to cross the finish line on Sunday, 27 April. This would surpass the current record held by the New York Marathon, which saw 55,646 participants complete the race in November.

This year's event has already seen record-breaking interest, with more than 840,000 people applying for the ballot, far exceeding the previous record of 578,304 set in 2024. Of the UK applicants, 49% were female, and applications from those aged 20-29 saw a notable 105% rise, reflecting growing participation across younger demographics.

Keep ReadingShow less
Harry Brook

Brook was vice-captain of the England squad which suffered an early exit from the Champions Trophy after losing all three group games. (Photo: Getty Images)

Brook faces IPL ban after Delhi Capitals no show

ENGLAND batsman Harry Brook pulled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the second successive year, a decision that could trigger a ban from future editions.

Brook was signed by Delhi Capitals in December 2023, but pulled out of last year's campaign following the death of his grandmother.

Keep ReadingShow less