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Harmanpreet Kaur-led India won the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023. While Harmanpreet took over the reins in the final, it was Smriti Mandhana who led India in the knockout matches in her absence as she faced a two-match suspension from the International Cricket Council (ICC). After winning the gold medal, Mandhana recalled when Tokyo Olympics gold medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal.
“This is very special. We have seen this on TV. When Neeraj Chopra won the Gold, I had a match (The Hundred competition) in 10-15 minutes. I delayed arriving at the venue and called them up to inform. The manner in which National Anthem was played and India's national flag went up, I think it was pretty special and I had tears in my eyes. The same thing happened today as well,” an emotional Mandhana told ANI after the match.
The Indian opener also recalled instances when India came close to winning the tournament but could not cross the line.
“We have gotten close to the gold medal before whether we reach the semi-finals or final. We could not give our best at that time. Now, I am really happy that we gave our best today and won the gold medal,” the 27-year-old added.
Mandhana was the top-scorer for India in the final on a tricky pitch at Pingfeng Campus Cricket Field, Hangzhou. She scored 46 runs from 45 deliveries including four fours and a six. She shared a crucial 73-run partnership for the second wicket with Jemimah Rodrigues who scored 42 runs. The partnership helped India post a total of 116/7.
In the run chase, Sri Lanka failed to accelerate and lost wickets at crucial moments. They managed to post 97/8 and lost the match by 17 runs. 18-year-old pacer Titas Sadhu turned out to be the top performer as she took three wickets and conceded just six runs from her quota of four overs including a maiden.
Mandhana finished the tournament as the third-highest run-scorer. The left-handed batter scored 80 runs from three innings at an average of 26.67 and a strike rate of 109.59.
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