Shreyanka Patil returned from a three-month injury layoff to help India win the women’s cricket gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan. India defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs to successfully defend their Asian Games title, repeating their gold-medal victory from the Hangzhou 2023 Games. The triumph earned India its first gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games, which ran from September 19 to October 4.
Patil had suffered an ankle injury during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales, which forced her to miss the Asia Cup. Her return to competitive cricket at the Asian Games marked a significant milestone in her recovery and career. She took two wickets in the final against Sri Lanka and finished the tournament with four wickets for 39 runs across three matches.
“It’s a special day for me. It’s my first Gold medal in the Asian Games, also my first gold medal in the career so far. I am very happy and grateful to be here. I can go and showcase my medal in my house as well,” Patil said in India’s official social media handle of Olympics.
Patil reflected on how she planned to celebrate the momentous achievement with her teammates after the final. The all-rounder expressed her joy at returning to the field and contributing to India’s successful title defence in Japan.
“I don’t know as of now. I will have to go to the room, freshen up and then figure out how the celebrations will be. Obviously we will have a good dinner today,” Patil said.
Multi-format contribution and all-round impact
Patil emphasised her value as a multi-format cricketer and her satisfaction in contributing across all three disciplines of the game. Her ability to bowl, bat and field at a high level made her an integral part of India’s winning squad at the Asian Games.
“I mean responsibility is a good thing and I love being a part of everything. I enjoy fielding. I love batting and I love bowling. So I believe that when you are good at all three departments, you feel good about it. It’s fun to contribute in all three departments,” Patil said.
