In Siliguri cricket circles, two things are being discussed passionately these days. One is Bengal playing Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy final at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and second being local girl Richa Ghosh’s meteoric rise in international cricket.
Not too long back, Ghosh earned accolades for playing a crucial part in India's title triumph at the inaugural U-19 Women’s World Cup. Then came the stunning financial windfall when Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) bought the 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction for ₹1.9 crore.
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The youngster hit form at the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa, first slamming a 56-ball 91* in the warm-up game against Bangladesh before hitting a 20-ball 31* in the first match against Pakistan.
Ghosh came good in the next match too, crafting another unbeaten knock to set up India’s win against West Indies. Batting at No 5, she scored 32-ball 44* and successfully partnered with captain Harmanpreet Kaur for a match-winning 72-run alliance.
Kaur was quick to acknowledge Ghosh's effort. “I am really happy she is in that form because she is a very dangerous batter,” the skipper said.
{{/usCountry}}Kaur was quick to acknowledge Ghosh's effort. “I am really happy she is in that form because she is a very dangerous batter,” the skipper said.
{{/usCountry}}“Richa is playing well in the World Cup. Hopefully, she will continue to do so in the upcoming games too. She is all pumped up after the U-19 World Cup triumph. The World Cup win has definitely infused confidence and self-belief in her. Also, she is enjoying her game which is helping her play without any pressure. In the U-19 World Cup and also now, we don’t talk about cricket with her whenever we get a chance to speak to her,” said Richa’s father Manabendra Ghosh from Siliguri. A former club cricketer, Manabendra officiates as an umpire in local matches.
It was during the 2022 ODI World Cup in New Zealand when Richa caught the attention with her power-hitting. India failed to reach the semi-final but Richa impressed WBBL franchise Hobart Hurricanes who roped her in for the 2021 season. Only the seventh Indian to feature in WBBL, she played 14 matches for Hurricanes.
“She has become a popular cricketer in Siliguri. I am now known as Richa’s father at the local level. It’s phenomenal how people are getting addicted to women’s cricket in Siliguri. The WPL auction was followed by the cricket fraternity tremendously. Our hearts were beating fast when bidders were bidding for Richa. It was an unbelievable experience,” added the proud father.
“She has worked hard on her wicket-keeping skills in the last year. She always preferred to dominate when batting. She has come into her own and is now batting with authority. Doing well against teams like England and Australia will matter the most.”
Once a part-time wicket-keeper in the India team, Ghosh has now cemented her place as the team's first-choice stumper.
India take on formidable England in their next World Cup encounter on Saturday. A win against the English would ensure their semi-final berth. All eyes will be on in-from Richa who now wants to replicate her U-19 World Cup triumph with the senior side.