Richa Ghosh is the latest cricketer to gain a following as a result of her outstanding performance for the Indian women’s team in the last six months. Taniya Bhatia was preferred for ODIs, so the 18-year-old batter and wicket-keeper mostly played T20s for India. Ghosh, on the other hand, has cemented her place in both formats and is regarded as India’s X-factor in the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, thanks to her aggressive batting and acrobatic fielding.
Richa Ghosh, who made her World Cup debut against Pakistan at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, did an outstanding job behind the wicket, dismissing five batsmen. She was also the first wicketkeeper in World Cup history to record five dismissals. Sidra Ameen, Bismah Maroof, Nida Dar, and Nashra Sandhu were all caught, and Aliya Riaz was stumped.
The Richa Ghosh Story
Richa became the first concussion substitute in a T20 World Cup final on March 8, 2020. She became the first wicketkeeper to cause five dismissals on debut at a women’s 50-over global event two years later.
The achievement is impressive for any 18-year-old. Ghosh had previously been known for her batting pyrotechnics. Many people were impressed by her first impact with the gloves. Jhulan Goswami, a member of her India and Bengal teams, is one of them.
“Richa has taken responsibility as a wicketkeeper. She’s improving day by day, and her batting ability – you know she is even able to hit big sixes, she can score fast… So I think in our team – she will give us a lot of volume [value] because you are getting one more allrounder, a batting allrounder,” Jhulan Goswami said.
Ghosh, who was playing as a specialist batter in March 2021, had a disastrous fielding performance in the second T20I against South Africa. She was tongue-tied and in tears by the end of the match, fielding at short fine leg when the last of her many fielding errors on the night handed South Africa a series-clinching last-ball win.
Smriti Mandhana, the series’ stand-in T20I captain, kept Ghosh but handed her the gloves for the third T20I. The team was willing to take a risk by entrusting Ghosh with keeping duties despite her lack of prior experience in international cricket.
Ghosh claimed her first keeping dismissal in India colors when she caught behind Sinalo Jafta in the final T20I against South Africa.
Bhatia kept wicket during the one-off Test and three One-Day Internationals that followed the South Africa series. Ghosh was involved in seven dismissals in three T20Is and scored 28 runs off 21 balls.
Idolizes MS Dhoni
The fact that Ghosh, who idolizes MS Dhoni, is keeping wicket in this World Cup is remarkable in and of itself.
“Ghosh’s “good game sense” – much like Dhoni’s – is a standout feature of her glovework. There are many times I’ve seen her involvement on the field. That is also a great quality at such a young age,” ODI captain Mithali Raj said.
