by Tanish Prabhu
India to take on Sri Lanka again for Asian Games gold medal
One week after the Indian Women’s team beat Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup Final in Dubai, the two will encounter in the Asian Games at the 2026 Asian Games on Tuesday, with both sides chasing gold at the Kōrogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan.
The final is a rematch of the 2023 Asian Games gold-medal match, when India claimed the title, and comes just days after the two teams also met in the final of the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup. India enter the contest as the defending Asian Games champions after producing a dominant semi-final performance against Bangladesh.
Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, India posted 195 for four after winning the toss and electing to bat. Shafali Verma was the standout performer, smashing an unbeaten 100 from 49 balls for her maiden T20I century. Smriti Mandhana contributed 37 from 19 balls, while Harmanpreet added 40 from 33. India’s bowlers then restricted Bangladesh to 81, completing a 114-run victory and booking their place in the gold-medal match.
Deepti Sharma was particularly influential with the ball, claiming three wickets for just seven runs, while Nandani Sharma also took three wickets.Sri Lanka reached the final after overcoming Pakistan by eight wickets. The result secured Sri Lanka’s place in the gold-medal match and set up another meeting with India. Athapaththu will be a key figure for Sri Lanka after her unbeaten 83 against Pakistan, while India’s batting line-up will be led by the in form Shafali Verma.
Meanwhile India men will begin their campaign to defend their men’s cricket gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan later this week, with the tournament set to run from September 24 to October 3.
The men’s competition will be played in the T20 format at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Aichi Prefecture, with 10 teams competing for the gold medal. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been seeded directly into the quarter-finals, meaning the four teams will avoid the preliminary group stage. India will face the runners-up from Group A in the quarterfinals on September 28. Group A consists of Afghanistan, hosts Japan and Nepal, while Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman make up Group B. The Indian side will be led by Shreyas Iyer, with a squad featuring several established international players.
India vs Japan T20I
History will be made as the Indian men’s team face Japan at the Sano International Cricket Ground before the Asians Games. It is a great opportunity for teams like Japan, who have limited experience in the game to play against high ranked teams like India and get the feel of how to bowl and bat against best players of this generation and learn from them on how to improve their game better.
It marks a celebration of 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The match provides India’s players with valuable preparation ahead of the 2026 Asian Games, while Japan will be looking to use the occasion to showcase the country’s growing cricket program. The international experience between the two sides makes the contest a major challenge for Japan. However, the match is about more than the result, with Japanese cricket gaining an opportunity to expose its players and supporters to the highest level of the international game.
Australia whitewash Zimbabwe in a thrilling final ODI
Australia finish the Zimbabwe tour on a high note, claiming a 3/0 series win, but not without its challenges in the final game. Zimbabwe had the game in the bag, but a dropped catch by Wessly Madhevere at the death overs cost the team a good opportunity to create history.
Australia managed to secure a one wicket victory at the back of a Josh Inglis century and an overall optimistic performance from Nathan Ellis with ball and bat. He had an excellent series and is one of the most underrated bowlers in the shorter formats. When the middle order Zimbabwe batters were settled with 300 on the cards, Ellis opened the door for Australia with some exceptional variations that make him one of the best death bowlers to play the game. Zimbabwe were restricted to 272 because of Ellis’sbrilliance and he wasn’t done there. He finished with 37 not out, sealing a thrilling victory, marking it as one of the all time One Day games played.
Australia now take on South Africa later this week, with the big stars set to return to the team but are going to get rotated for each game to make way for other players. South Africa have lost Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Nigidi to injuries. Rabada being the one bowler who has always made batters fear him because of his pace and bounce. He is set to miss the test series in October.
World Athletics strengthens commitment to sustainability and refugee inclusion
World Athletics has strengthened its commitment to using sport as a platform for social and environmental change after announcing two major partnerships focused on biodiversity and refugee inclusion. The global governing body has become a signatory to the Sports for Nature Framework while also signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The announcements were made in Copenhagen ahead of the 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships. The Sports for Nature Framework, launched in 2022, provides sporting organisations with four key principles: protecting natural habitats and species, restoring nature, reducing environmental risks throughout supply chains, and encouraging positive environmental action. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said protecting the environment was directly connected to the future of athletics.
“Our sport, all sport, depends on healthy ecosystems, clear air and clean water,” Coe said.
Under its commitment to the framework, World Athletics will introduce greater biodiversity considerations into the delivery of its events. From 2027, hosts of World Athletics Championship events will be required to conduct biodiversity assessments both before and after their events. The assessments will be used to identify potential environmental impacts, develop mitigation strategies and measure the long-term legacy of major championships. The organisation will also incorporate biodiversity into its Athletics for a Better World Impact Standard for federations, which is scheduled to launch in 2027. World Athletics is joining a framework that now includes more than 150 sporting federations, leagues and clubs.
The organisation’s environmental commitment comes alongside a renewed focus on supporting athletes affected by displacement. Its new agreement with UNHCR builds on a relationship that has helped develop the Athlete Refugee Team, which first competed at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. The programme has since developed into a formal team, with athletes currently based across eight countries and competing at World Athletics Series events. The agreement will focus on providing refugee athletes with opportunities to access elite training programmes, coaching and media training, as well as increasing opportunities for refugees and displaced people to participate in athletics.
World Athletics and UNHCR will also work on initiatives supporting the wellbeing and protection of refugee athletes. UNHCR’s Head of Private Sector Partnerships Jorge Olague said sport could play an important role in supporting refugees and people forced to flee conflict and persecution.The two initiatives highlight a broader role for athletics beyond competition, with World Athletics seeking to use its global reach to address environmental challenges and provide opportunities for displaced communities.With major championships attracting athletes, spectators and international attention, the organisation will now look to turn its commitments into practical measures across future events and programmes.
