Amravati (Maharashtra) [India], September 23 (ANI): The historic gold medal won by the Indian women's cricket team at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 has brought immense pride to Amravati, with the inclusion of local cricketer Bharti Fulmali in the squad making the achievement even more special for the region, her coach Sandip Gawande said.
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.
Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Bharti Fulmali's coach Sandip Gawande said the team's triumph was a matter of great joy for the entire country and highlighted Fulmali's journey from a young player to an international cricketer.
"It is a matter of great joy for all of India that the Indian women's cricket team has won the gold medal; the fact that Amravati's own Bharti Fulmali is part of the squad makes it an even prouder moment for the people of Amravati..." Gawande said.
Recalling Fulmali's cricketing journey, he said, "Bharti has been playing since the age of 12 and has delivered outstanding performances for both Vidarbha and India so far."
Fulmali, who represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket, is also part of the Gujarat Giants squad in the Women's Premier League (WPL). Gawande described her as a hard-hitting batter known for scoring quick runs in limited deliveries.
"She also plays for the Gujarat Giants in the WPL; she is a hard-hitting batter known for scoring quick runs off a few deliveries," he 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)
"Proud moment for Amravati": Bharti Fulmali’s coach Sandip Gawande celebrates India women’s Asian Games gold
