India made a strong start at the Asian Games 2026, winning two silver medals on Day 1. Shooter Elavenil Valarivan took silver in the women's 10m air rifle individual event, after earlier helping India win team silver with Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod. The women's cricket team beat Bangladesh by 114 runs in the semi-final and will face Sri Lanka for gold. Suchika Tariyal's quarterfinal win in mixed martial arts guaranteed another medal. The men's hockey team thrashed Indonesia 13-1. In swimming, Rishabh Das finished sixth in the 100m backstroke final, while India's teqball players missed out on bronze. (PC: NDTV)

India stormed into the women’s cricket final at the Asian Games 2026 after beating Bangladesh by 114 runs in the semi-final in Nisshin on Sunday. Batting first, India scored 195 for four, with Shafali Verma smashing her maiden T20I century. She remained unbeaten on 100 from 49 balls, hitting nine sixes and three fours. Smriti Mandhana added 37, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored 40 off 33 balls. Bangladesh struggled in the chase and were bowled out for 81 in 15.4 overs. Nandani Sharma and Deepti Sharma took three wickets each, while Shree Charani claimed two. India are assured of at least a silver medal.

Smriti Mandhana created history on Sunday by becoming the leading run-scorer in women’s T20 Internationals. The India vice-captain achieved the feat during the Asian Games 2026 semi-final against Bangladesh. Mandhana needed seven runs before the match to move past New Zealand star Suzie Bates, who had held the record. She reached the milestone in the third over of India’s innings. Mandhana went on to score 37 runs from 19 balls, including five fours and two sixes. Her record added another major milestone to her international career. She also became the first Indian woman to hit 100 sixes in T20Is during the same match.

Elavenil Valarivan won silver in the women's 10m air rifle individual final on Day 1 of the Asian Games 2026, giving India its second medal of the Games. She had already claimed team silver in the same event with Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod. Elsewhere, Suchika Tariyal reached the women's 60kg traditional MMA semi-finals and secured India's first-ever medal in the sport. The women's hockey team thrashed Uzbekistan 19-0, with Deepika Sehrawat scoring a tournament-record eight goals. PV Sindhu began India's badminton campaign with a 21-7, 21-9 win over Kamila Smagulova. Teqball ended without a medal after two bronze-playoff defeats. (PC: NDTV)

India’s women’s table tennis team opened its Asian Games 2026 campaign with a convincing 3-0 win over Indonesia in the Group F encounter in Nagoya, Japan. Sreeja Akula gave India the lead by defeating Ni Maharani 3-1, recovering after losing the second game. Diya Chitale then strengthened India’s position with a 3-0 victory over Almaira Nebuchadnezzar, winning 11-9, 11-8, 11-5. Yashaswini Ghorpade completed the clean sweep, defeating Citra Rasmi 3-0. India is grouped with Indonesia, Pakistan and Singapore in Group F. (PC: The Hindu)

India made a strong start on Day 1 of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, securing its first medal in the women’s 10m air rifle team event. Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod won silver behind China. India also guaranteed another historic medal after Suchika Tariyal reached the women’s traditional 60kg MMA semifinals. The women’s hockey team began impressively against Uzbekistan, while the women’s table-tennis team defeated Indonesia 3-0. Quimcy Dsouza’s teqball campaign ended after losses in the singles and mixed-doubles bronze matches. India’s women’s cricket team also faced Bangladesh in the semifinal. (PC: NDTV)

The Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya will feature 11,000 athletes competing from September 19 to October 4 across disciplines. Beyond cricket, hockey and athletics, Indian competitors will participate in sports including Teqball, Kurash, Soft Tennis, Sepak Takraw and Sport Climbing. Teqball, making its Asian Games debut, combines football with table tennis. Kurash is a standing wrestling discipline that prohibits groundwork. Soft Tennis uses a lighter rubber ball and rackets than tennis. Sepak Takraw blends football and volleyball, while Sport Climbing tests speed, strength, balance and technique across speed, boulder and lead disciplines. India has won medals in Kurash and Sepak Takraw, but remains without medals in Soft Tennis and Sport Climbing.

Two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat led the Indian contingent as flag-bearers at the opening ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan on Saturday, September 19, 2026. The ceremony at Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya marked the start of the 20th Asian Games. Bhaker, who won bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol and mixed team 10m air pistol at Paris 2024 with Sarabjot Singh, became the first athlete from independent India to win two medals at Olympics. Sehrawat was part of India’s gold-winning kabaddi team at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. India has sent 503 athletes, including 269 men and 234 women, across 36 disciplines.

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra has wished the Indian team well at the Asian Games 2026, saying he is sure the athletes will make the country proud. Chopra will miss the Games after an ankle ligament injury in training, which also ends his season.   The Games began on Saturday in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, and run until October 4. Kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat and double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker carried the Tricolour at the opening ceremony. India has sent 503 athletes in 36 sports. Bhaker competes in three pistol events.   India aims to beat its record of 107 medals, including 28 gold. (PC: NDTV)

India has sent a nearly 500-member team to the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, hoping to beat its 106 medals from Hangzhou, including 28 golds.   Kabaddi is India's surest bet, with both men's and women's teams as defending champions. The men's and women's cricket teams are also expected to win gold again. The men's hockey team is the favourite, while the women hope to win gold for the first time in 44 years.   Other top hopes include archers Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Dhiraj Bommadevara, shooters Esha Singh and Manu Bhaker, badminton pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor and high jumper Sarvesh Kushare. (PC: NDTV Sports)