Richa Ghosh saves India from embarrassment with breathtaking 94 against South Africa in ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025
Last year in October, Richa Ghosh missed a series against New Zealand while taking her 12th board exams.
Two days at the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 and two stupendous knocks under pressure. While it was Beth Mooney for Australia on Wednesday, it is Richa Ghosh for the hosts, India, today. Against South Africa, coming in a perilous situation, Ghosh played a blinder of a knock – perhaps the best by a 22-year-old in World Cup history.
Richa Ghosh with knock for the ages
The Indian women’s team, put into bat, were staring down the barrel. At one point, they were 102/6 despite a decent start by Pratika Rawal. But then, the South African bowling unit choked India and the collapse took place before Richa Ghosh did something out of the ordinary. From a situation where the Women in Blue threatened to bundle out before 150, Ghosh managed to take the team over the 250-run mark.
Richa’s knock was extra special since it came when India had their chins down. Walking in when the top order had collapsed, the 22-year-old showed remarkable maturity, something that many experienced internationals fail to do so. Her batting tempo was fearless yet calculated; she began by rotating strike smartly before unleashing her trademark power game. She is known for having the power game but on a day when the Protea bowlers bowled well, the Indian keeper outmuscled them with her class.
The innings also marked a personal milestone for Ghosh, who became the 12th Indian woman to score 1,000 ODI runs. But the manner in which she got there made it even more special, reaching the mark in just 1,010 balls, making her the third-fastest ever in women’s ODI history behind Ashleigh Gardner and Nat Sciver-Brunt.
Even her dismissal, caught at long-on off Nadine de Klerk, had a touch of drama. The crowd held its breath, hoping for a no-ball that would give her a shot at a maiden ODI century. But the replay showed the ball was just four centimetres below the waist. As she walked back, disappointed but applauded by her teammates and the Vizag crowd gave her a standing ovation. India had been saved from embarrassment, yes, but more importantly, Richa Ghosh had arrived as a complete ODI batter.
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