The Siliguri storm: Richa Ghosh battled a finger fracture to fire India to World Cup win

NEW DELHI: Social media was abuzz with disapproval aft India's shocking four-run capitulation against England successful their Women’s World Cup 2025 group-stage match. The hosts meekly surrendered contempt needing 36 runs disconnected 30 balls with six wickets successful hand, crumbling to an all-too-familiar choke against Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side.

The decision brought backmost unpleasant memories of India’s nonaccomplishment successful the 2017 World Cup last against the aforesaid opposition, wherever they mislaid their past 7 wickets for 28 runs successful 6.5 overs.

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Experts questioned the deficiency of intent, highlighting it arsenic a large interest successful lawsuit of a high-pressure face-off against big-hitting sides similar Australia during the tournament’s knockouts. In stepped Richa Ghosh conscionable erstwhile the Indian squad needed a game-changer — during the semifinal against Australia and the last against South Africa — smashing the shot fearlessly connected the biggest stage.

The 22-year-old wicketkeeper-batter struck 26 disconnected 16 balls successful the semifinal, a sound comprising 2 fours and 2 sixes, helping the hosts summation a sizeable borderline portion chasing 339.

Richa further stepped up successful the last erstwhile the squad needed large hits pursuing the dismissals of Shafali Verma and Harmanpreet Kaur, scoring 34 disconnected 24 balls, which included 3 fours and 2 sixes.While the Bengal cricketer’s heroics were connected afloat display, what made the feats adjacent much awesome was the symptom obstruction she pushed done to execute for the nationalist team.

Richa battled done a hairline fracture successful the mediate digit of her near hand, arsenic revealed by Bengal fast-bowling manager Shib Shankar Paul, who has coached her since the property of 13.

"Richa suffered a breached digit but smashed monolithic sixes contempt that, which showcases her willpower. I told her, 'Don't get scared. All symptom volition spell away, but the World Cup cannot get distant from our grasp. Come backmost aft winning the tournament.'

She responded, 'Yes, I person mislaid retired connected an accidental to triumph the World Cup successful 2022. I person to propulsion it disconnected this time,’" said Paul successful an exclusive enactment with TimesofIndia.com.Richa scored 235 runs successful 8 innings astatine an mean of 39.16 during the precocious concluded World Cup, with a onslaught complaint of 133.52 — the highest successful the tournament. The Bengal cricketer besides led the mode successful hitting sixes, smashing 12 of them. Richa’s high-impact gameplay particularly shone done successful the group-stage lucifer against eventual finalists South Africa, wherever she scored 94 disconnected 77 balls successful a sound comprising 11 fours and 4 sixes.

This occurrence has been the effect of a fearless yet structured grooming programme, built connected immense subject and dietary control."Richa started disconnected arsenic a big-hitting opener, but I told her to bat astatine fig 5 and decorativeness matches. She bats from greeting till evening daily, facing 100–150 balls of each changeable with a circumstantial absorption connected power-hitting. The grooming sessions are conducted with boys. Richa doesn’t deterioration a thigh pad adjacent if I inquire her to, and she won’t permission the tract contempt an injury.

She erstwhile deed a six during signifier that shattered a car’s glass.

I told the owner, 'Take a representation with her. You tin stock this incidental aft Richa helps India triumph the World Cup,’" said Paul.Richa’s important occurrence has besides stemmed from improved intelligence clarity astir which deliveries to capitalise on. Her Siliguri-based erstwhile coach, Gopal Saha, highlighted a speech pursuing a T20 lucifer that transformed her attack to changeable selection.

"I told her to respect the bully deliveries alternatively than attempting to deed each shot for a six. That speech changed her mindset, making her much watchful portion facing deliveries," said Saha.

The 22-year-old big-hitting wicketkeeper-batter idolises MS Dhoni and has interacted with the legendary cricketer a fewer times. Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly besides guides Richa, urging Paul to absorption connected her fittingness levels."She is precise peculiar astir her fare and has stopped eating chocolates and extracurricular food. Richa’s fittingness levels person improved a lot. There’s a circumstantial navigator who prepares chickenhearted erstwhile she comes for grooming sessions and avoids rice. Richa’s lone indulgence is drinking tea. Being portion of the Indian squad has been a large game-changer successful her fittingness journey, providing clarity connected the precocious standards indispensable to enactment successful contention.

Richa has faced a batch of conflict implicit the years, travelling from Siliguri to Kolkata often for signifier sessions, contempt coming from a financially humble family. Her eventual extremity is to play 3 much World Cups — which is decidedly achievable," stated Paul.