“Delighted to be back”: Shreyanka Patil hails India’s Asian Games gold in cricket after injury layoff  

By Vipul Kashyap
Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], September 23 (ANI):  Indian cricketer Shreyanka Patil said she was delighted to return to the Indian team after missing the Asia Cup due to injury and contribute to the Asian Games gold-medal triumph. 
She praised the team’s bowlers for their consistent performances and said posting a 200-plus total gave them confidence and a strong cushion while defending the target.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the women's T20 cricket final on Tuesday to claim their second successive Asian Games gold medal. The victory also gave India its first gold of the ongoing games. 
“The girls did really well in the Asia Cup. Unfortunately, I missed that tournament, but I’m very happy to be back in the Indian team for the Asian Games. Coming back and playing matches soon after an injury is something I really enjoy, so I’m delighted that we were able to cross the line and win the gold medal," Patil told ANI. 
"When you have 200-plus runs on the board, as bowlers, you have that cushion and confidence that you can do the job. Charini, Deepti and all our bowlers have done a fantastic job throughout this tournament, and it’s really pleasing to see everyone contribute to the team’s success," she added. 
In a repeat of the Hangzhou 2023 gold-medal clash, India has defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs to successfully defend their Asian Games women’s cricket title. The triumph also earned India its first gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games.
Sri Lanka settled for silver for the second consecutive edition, while Pakistan claimed the bronze medal after defeating Bangladesh in the third-place playoff earlier in the day.
Deepti Sharma was the standout performer with the ball, returning impressive figures of 3/6. Shafali Verma, Shree Charani and Shreyanka Patil also played their part, claiming two wickets each as India’s bowlers completed a dominant performance.
Brief scores: India Women 216/3 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 79, Richa Ghosh 49 not out; Chamudi Praboda 1/34) beat Sri Lanka 69/10 in 15.4 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 29; Deepti Sharma 3/6) by 147 runs. (ANI)