Aichi-Nagoya, Japan: India entered Day 3 of the 2026 Asian Games with six medals in its tally and several opportunities to add to the count on Tuesday, September 22. The Indian women’s cricket team was chasing gold against Sri Lanka, while shooting, wushu, badminton and other sports also featured prominently in the day’s schedule.
India had won four silver and two bronze medals after the opening two days of competition, leaving the country without a gold medal at the start of Day 3. Shooting had contributed five of India’s six medals, while Suchika Tariyal had secured a bronze in MMA.
The day’s programme offered India several opportunities to add to its medal tally, including the women’s cricket final, the 10m air rifle mixed team event and wushu bouts featuring Roshibina Devi and Aryan.
India begins Day 3 with six medals
India’s medal tally stood at six medals — four silver and two bronze — going into Tuesday’s action.
Shooting was the country’s most productive discipline during the first two days. Indian shooters had contributed five medals, providing a strong start to the country’s campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
India’s first gold-medal opportunity of the Games came through the women’s cricket team, which faced Sri Lanka in the final.
The team had reached the gold-medal match after defeating Bangladesh by 114 runs in the semi-final.
Women’s cricket team fights for gold
The Indian women’s cricket team was scheduled to face Sri Lanka in the gold-medal match at Korogi Sports Park.
The final was scheduled for 10:30 am IST, with India looking to retain the women’s cricket gold medal it won at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, which was held in 2023.
India’s route to the final included a quarter-final victory over Japan followed by a comprehensive semi-final win against Bangladesh. Sri Lanka reached the final after defeating Pakistan in the other semi-final.
The cricket final was therefore one of the biggest medal events on India’s Day 3 schedule.
Shooting offers another medal opportunity
Shooting continued to be a major focus for India on Tuesday.
The 10m air rifle mixed team qualification was scheduled during the morning, with the final to follow later in the day if the Indian combination qualified.
NDTV’s live coverage reported India making a strong start in the qualification, with Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Makadiya combining for 211.9 after 20 shots. South Korea were behind them at that stage, while China were also among the leading teams.
India also had athletes competing in the men’s and women’s skeet qualification events.
Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Mairaj Khan and Bhavtegh Singh Gill were involved in the men’s skeet competition, while Raiza Dhillon, Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Maheshwari Chauhan represented India in the women’s event.
Roshibina Devi and Aryan in wushu action
Wushu was another sport with medal implications for India.
Roshibina Devi was scheduled to compete in the women’s 60kg Sanda event, while Aryan was set to compete in the men’s 56kg Sanda category.
Both Indian athletes were one win away from assuring themselves of a medal, according to the pre-event schedule.
India’s wushu campaign therefore had the potential to add further medals to the tally during the afternoon session.
PV Sindhu leads badminton challenge
India’s women’s badminton team faced Japan in the quarter-finals, with two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu among the players in action.
Sindhu faced Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in the opening singles match. The contest developed into a close battle, with Sindhu taking the opening game 23-21 according to NDTV’s live updates.
India’s men’s badminton team was also scheduled to face Japan in the quarter-finals later in the day.
The men’s line-up included Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Ayush Shetty, Kidambi Srikanth and the doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
Table tennis and other sports add to India’s schedule
India’s women’s table tennis team also began its quarter-final against Thailand on Tuesday morning.
Sreeja Akula was the first Indian player to take the court in the tie, facing Orwan Paranang.
India was also represented across several other disciplines, including soft tennis, sepak takraw, esports, fencing, karate and swimming.
The broad schedule meant that India’s medal tally could change significantly during the day depending on results in several competitions.
Men’s hockey team faces Sri Lanka
The Indian men’s hockey team was also scheduled to play Sri Lanka in a Pool A match at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium.
The match was scheduled for 3:30 pm IST.
While the hockey fixture was not itself a medal match, India’s campaign in the group stage is part of its route towards the knockout stages and the eventual medal rounds.
India’s hockey teams remain among the major attractions in the Asian Games programme, with the competition continuing through October 3.
India’s Day 3 schedule
Some of the key events involving Indian athletes on September 22 included:
| Time (IST) | Sport | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 am | Badminton | Women’s team quarter-final vs Japan |
| 6:29 am | Wushu | Hanjabam Langlentombi Devi final |
| Morning | Shooting | 10m air rifle mixed team qualification |
| 10:30 am | Cricket | Women’s final vs Sri Lanka |
| 11:30 am | Badminton | Men’s team quarter-final vs Japan |
| 2:30 pm onwards | Wushu | Roshibina Devi and Aryan |
| 3:30 pm | Hockey | India men vs Sri Lanka |
| 3:30 pm | Fencing | Women’s épée individual final |
The schedule was subject to qualification and results in events where athletes had to progress through earlier rounds.
India aims to add its first gold medal
The central focus of India’s Day 3 campaign was the women’s cricket final, which offered the country’s first opportunity to win a gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games.
At the start of the day, India had six medals — four silver and two bronze — and stood 12th in the medal table. China led the standings with 23 gold, 10 silver and five bronze medals, followed by Japan with eight gold, 12 silver and 12 bronze.
India also had medal opportunities in shooting and wushu, while athletes in badminton, table tennis and other sports were competing in knockout rounds.
With several events taking place across the day, India’s medal tally was set for further movement as competition continued in Aichi-Nagoya.