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Richa Ghosh agonisingly misses maiden World Cup ton, yet MS Dhoni act crowns her in 52-year history

Richa Ghosh has set a new record as the highest scoring number eight batter in ODI World Cup history, scoring 94 runs against South Africa.

Updated on: Oct 9, 2025, 22:08:21 IST
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Richa Ghosh has just cracked a new ceiling in cricket. The Indian wicketkeeper batter has played the innings of a lifetime against South Africa in the ongoing Women’s ODI World Cup and has tumbled down records.

Richa Ghosh plays a shot during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between India and South Africa (AP)
Richa Ghosh plays a shot during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between India and South Africa (AP)

Cricket has been witnessing World Cups in the ODI format since 1973, that is the year when the first-ever Women’s ODI World Cup was held. Richa has now broken a record that puts her at the zenith of 52 years of World Cup history.

Notably, coming to bat at number eight, the Indian wicketkeeper scored 94 runs off 77 deliveries. This knock came when India were struggling at 102/6. Her resilient effort helped India put a fighting total of 251 runs on the board. Besides, it also became the highest ever score by a number eight batter in World Cup history, both men’s and women’s combined.

The Women’s record

The previous record for the highest score at number eight in a Women’s ODI World Cup match belonged to India’s Pooja Vastrakar. She scored 67 runs vs Pakistan during the 2022 World Cup at Mount Maunganui.

Notably, the top three of this list are all Indians. While Richa sits at the top, Amanjot Kaur occupies the third spot. Kaur scored 57 runs against Sri Lanka in the opening match of the ongoing World Cup against Sri Lanka. It was Kaur that day who took India to a fighting total and laid the foundation for their win. The venue and the opposition changed, Richa took the responsibility to fight for her team.

Rank

Player

Runs

Opponent

Ground

Date

1

Richa Ghosh (IND)

94

v SAVisakhapatnam

9 Oct 2025

2

Pooja Vastrakar (IND)

67

v PAKMount Maunganui

6 Mar 2022

3

Amanjot Kaur (IND)

57

v SLGuwahati

30 Sep 2025

4

Merissa Aguilleira (WI)

47*

v SLMumbai

3 Feb 2013

5

Katey Martin (NZ)

44

v WIMount Maunganui

4 Mar 2022

The combined record

The brilliance of Richa’s knock in the match against South Africa is realised when one understands that it is the highest score by a number eight batter with men’s and women’s cricket combined. Notably, Ghosh went past Nathan Coulter-Nile’s 92 vs West Indies. The Australian scored the runs against the West Indies during the 2019 Men’s ODI World Cup.

Rank

Player

Team

Runs

Opponent

Ground

Date

1

Richa GhoshIndia (W)

94

v South AfricaVisakhapatnam

9 Oct 2025

2

Nathan Coulter-NileAustralia (M)

92

v West IndiesNottingham

6 Jun 2019

3

Ravindra JadejaIndia (M)

77

v New ZealandManchester

9 Jul 2019

4

Heath StreakZimbabwe (M)

72*

v New ZealandBloemfontein

8 Mar 2003

5

Pooja VastrakarIndia (W)

67

v PakistanMount Maunganui

6 Mar 2022

6

Abdul RazzaqPakistan (M)

62

v New ZealandPallekele

8 Mar 2011

7

Deryck MurrayWest Indies (M)

61*

v PakistanBirmingham

11 Jun 1975

8

Nasir AzizUAE (M)

60

v West IndiesNapier

15 Mar 2015

9

Logan van BeekNetherlands (M)

59

v Sri LankaLucknow

21 Oct 2023

10

Ranjan de AlwisSri Lanka (M)

58*

v EnglandTaunton

11 Jun 1983

Now, Ghosh has taken the top spot in this list. Coincidentally, the third spot in this list is also occupied by an Indian. Ravindra Jadeja sits there for his 77-run knock against New Zealand during the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup.

Talking about the match, India would be looking to win the game so that Richa’s extra-ordinary effort does not go in vain. The Indian bowlers, especially the spinners will have to play a major role in deciding the fate of this game in favour of their team.

  • Probuddha Bhattacharjee
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Probuddha Bhattacharjee

    Probuddha Bhattacharjee is a sports writer and analyst with expertise spanning cricket, football, and multi-sport events, with a strong emphasis on data-driven journalism and tactical storytelling. He currently focuses on international cricket, the Indian Premier League, global tournaments, and emerging trends shaping modern sport, blending advanced statistics with strong narrative context to explain performance, strategy, and decision-making. His work aims to bridge the gap between numbers and storytelling, helping readers understand not just what happened on the field, but the tactical and structural reasons behind it. Trained in data journalism through the Google News Initiative (GNI) Data Journalism Lab, Probuddha works extensively with ball-by-ball datasets, performance metrics, and trend-based modelling to produce evidence-backed reports, explainers, and long-form features. His analytical approach focuses not only on outcomes but also on process—selection strategies, phase-wise tactics, workload management, and the influence of preparation and planning on match results. He is particularly interested in how statistical patterns reshape conventional cricketing narratives and provide clearer tactical insight for modern audiences. Beyond cricket, Probuddha has written analytical and news-driven pieces on football and other major sporting events, with a growing interest in sports governance, scheduling dynamics, and the economics of elite competitions. He also tracks how rule changes, franchise structures, and broadcast pressures influence the evolution of contemporary sport. He has previously contributed to platforms such as OneCricket, Sportskeeda, and CrickTracker, and continues to specialise in analytical storytelling, live coverage, and audience-focused reporting. His work prioritises clarity, context, and credibility, while consistently exploring innovative ways to present data through accessible narratives and structured match analysis.Read More

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