India's Women Just Struck Cricket Gold at the Asian Games, and There's More

India's women's cricket team delivered one of the biggest wins of the Asian Games 2026 so far, beating Sri Lanka in the final to claim gold on Day 6 of the competition. It was one of two gold medals India collected on the day, alongside a Games record setting performance in shooting, in a session that added meaningfully to the country's medal count even as the overall standings continue to be dominated by China.

How India's Women Won Cricket Gold

The women's cricket final against Sri Lanka capped off a tournament run that had been building steadily, and the team closed it out with a performance strong enough to secure gold outright. Cricket has only been a fixture at the Asian Games in recent editions, and a gold medal win at this level carries real weight for a program that has historically had to fight for recognition compared to the men's side of the sport.

Shooting Delivers a Games Record

India's other gold on Day 6 came from the shooting range, where Kamaljeet and Suruchi Singh won the 10m air pistol mixed team event with a performance that set a new Games record, narrowly missing the world record in the process. It was part of a strong overall day for Indian shooters, who also picked up a stack of silver medals: Elavenil Valarivan took individual silver in the women's 10m air rifle, the women's air rifle team added another silver, and Rudrankksh Patil and Himanshu Dhillon each won individual silvers while also contributing to a team silver in the same discipline.

A Mixed Day Elsewhere

Not every event went India's way outright. The mixed 4x400m relay team brought home silver, and both the men's and women's cricket squads picked up bronze in the skeet shooting final, an unusual overlap that reflects how many Indian athletes are competing across multiple disciplines at this Games. Suchika Tariyal added a piece of history with bronze in the 60kg MMA competition, marking India's first ever Asian Games medal in the sport. The men's badminton team and the men's and women's skeet teams also picked up bronze medals during the same stretch.

Where the Medal Tally Stands

Even with a strong Day 6, India sits well down the overall standings. China continues to dominate with 86 gold, 31 silver, and 20 bronze for 137 total medals, an enormous lead that reflects the scale of its Olympic sports investment. Japan holds second place with 22 gold and 97 total medals, followed by South Korea in third with 54. India currently sits 12th overall with 2 gold, 8 silver, and 9 bronze for 19 total medals, a noticeably slower pace than the 107 medal haul the country brought home from the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

The gap has drawn attention from Indian sports commentators, though officials point out that several of India's strongest disciplines, including track and field finals and team sports, are still to come later in the Games. Day 6 followed a six medal day covered earlier this week that saw Mirabai Chanu add a weightlifting silver to the tally, and with more finals scheduled across the remaining days of competition, India's total is expected to keep climbing before the closing ceremony.

What's Left on the Asian Games 2026 Schedule

India's contingent still has strong medal chances in athletics, wrestling, and hockey over the closing stretch of the Games, disciplines where the country has traditionally performed well at past editions. Badminton also remains in play after the men's team bronze, with individual events yet to conclude. Sports federations back home have pointed to the depth of Day 6 alone, two golds, eight silvers, and nine bronzes in a single day, as evidence that the overall tally will look considerably different by the closing ceremony than it does right now. China's dominance at the top of the table is unlikely to be seriously challenged by anyone, but the fight for second and third place between Japan and South Korea remains close enough that a strong final week from either country could shift the standings before the Games wrap up.