MS Dhoni fan Richa Ghosh powering Indian women’s World Cup hopes
The teenager from Siliguri is fast building fan following in the hill region where India stumper Wriddhiman Saha was the lone poster boy until now.
Siliguri’s Kanchenjunga Kriranga Cricket Stadium is decked up with posters of cricketers Richa Ghosh and Wriddhiman Saha these days. While Bengal and India wicketkeeper Saha has been a household name, Ghosh is the latest to acquire fan following courtesy her impressive showing for the India women’s team in the last six months.
The 18-year-old batter and wicket-keeper mostly played T20s for India with Taniya Bhatia preferred for ODIs. The talented Ghosh though has ensured her place in both the formats and is seen as X-factor for India in the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, for her attacking batting and acrobatic keeping.
Making her World Cup debut against Pakistan at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, Ghosh did a stellar job behind the wicket with five dismissals. Her four catches equalled the Indian record for ODIs shared by Anju Jain (vs West Indies, 2004) and Anagha Deshpande (vs Australia, 2011). She also became the first wicketkeeper to effect five dismissals on World Cup. She had Sidra Ameen, Bismah Maroof, Nida Dar and Nashra Sandhu caught and stumped Aliya Riaz.
Ghosh’s father Manabendra is elated that cricket lovers in Siliguri are excited to see his teenage daughter in India colours. “Since she has done well against Australia and then bagged a Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) contract, people have been following Richa’s career with great interest. Friends and relatives along with others have been trying to get in touch with me and congratulate on her success. When she twisted her ankle in one of the ODIs against New Zealand after scoring an excellent 65, she was heart-broken as she could not keep wicket in that match. I told her to forget it and keep an eye on getting fit again. She is fearless and likes to contribute her bit in batting and wicket-keeping,” says Manabendra, who too was a wicketkeeper.
Ghosh had hit a brisk 65 in a lost cause in the second ODI against New Zealand, putting on a partnership with skipper Mithali Raj. She then scored 50 off just 26 balls in the fourth ODI against New Zealand, the fastest fifty by an Indian women player.
“She has worked hard on her keeping skills in the last couple of months with India team fielding coach Shubhadeep Ghosh, and then with Bengal coach Rituparna Ghosh. That training has shone through in her performances. She is an aggressive batter and loves to go for shots. She should do well in the coming matches at the World Cup,” he said.
Ghosh’s impressive knocks in the three T20s against Australia helped bag a WBBL contract with Hobart Hurricanes. Despite being a top wicket-keeper, Bhatia has not done well with the bat, bringing Ghosh into the picture. The youngster has taken her chances, becoming pivotal to the Indian middle-order. She enjoys a strike-rate of over 100 in T20Is as well as ODIs.
A MS Dhoni fan, Ghosh is disappointed she has not yet met her idol. Having played eight ODIs and 13 T20s, she wants to emulate Dhoni and help India women win the World Cup.
In a conversation with skipper Mithali Raj after her batting heroics against New Zealand, Ghosh had said, “When I began watching matches of India, I started following Dhoni as I was impressed with his power-hitting abilities and effective wicket-keeping.”
Ghosh made her T20 debut for India in the tri-series in Australia in 2020 before the T20 World Cup. Her ODI debut came against Australia a few months ago.
“She knew she had to cement her place in the Indian team so she worked very hard on her wicket-keeping along with sharp batting. Now we are hoping that she can do that both for India in the World Cup,” Ghosh’s father says.