Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 02:15pm on 18 Sep 2026,Friday Sports
India began its Asian Games T20 gold defence with an eight-wicket win over hosts Japan in the women’s quarter-final. Japan were bowled out for 57, with Shree Charani taking four wickets. India then chased the target inside five overs, losing only two wickets. Harmanpreet Kaur’s team entered the match after a demanding 107 hours that included controversy surrounding their refusal to receive the Women’s Asia Cup trophy from ACC president Mohsin Naqvi, followed by a 72-run victory over Sri Lanka in the final and a nearly 8,000-kilometre journey from Dubai to Delhi and then Nagoya. The opener gave India a straightforward start to their title defence after their long journey overall.
