India won the toss and elected to bat first against Sri Lanka in the women's cricket gold-medal match at the Asian Games 2026 in Nisshin, Japan, on Tuesday. 

Harmanpreet Kaur's side will look to put up a strong total after choosing to take first use of the surface in the high-stakes final.

The final is being played at Korogi Sports Park, where India and Sri Lanka have both produced strong performances during their Asian Games campaigns. 

India stormed into the gold-medal clash with a 114-run win over Bangladesh in the semifinal, while Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by eight wickets to book their place in the title decider.

India will enter the final as the defending Asian Games champions. The team has also carried impressive recent form into the tournament, having defeated Sri Lanka in the Women's Asia Cup final earlier this month to claim a record-extending eighth continental title.

Shafali Verma was the standout performer in India's semifinal victory, smashing an unbeaten 100 off 49 deliveries against Bangladesh. Her historic century helped India post 195/4 before their bowlers dismissed Bangladesh for 81 to seal a commanding 114-run victory.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will look to their experienced captain Chamari Athapaththu to lead the challenge. Athapaththu scored an unbeaten 83 against Pakistan in the semifinal as Sri Lanka chased down 178 with eight wickets in hand. With India opting to bat first, the focus will now be on the Indian top order to establish a strong platform and set Sri Lanka a challenging target in the Asian Games gold-medal clash.

Source: Free Press Journal

--Agencies