The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) will felicitate India wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh with a specially crafted gold-plated bat and ball at a ceremony at Eden Gardens on Saturday, celebrating her performance in India’s maiden Women’s World Cup triumph.
The 22-year-old from Siliguri, one of the architects of India’s historic victory, scored 235 runs from eight innings at a strike rate of 133.52 and was among the team’s top five run-getters.
The gold bat and ball, signed by former India captain Sourav Ganguly and pace legend Jhulan Goswami, will be presented to her in recognition of her “outstanding achievements and invaluable contribution to Indian cricket.”
CAB president Ganguly said the association was proud to honour a player who has brought glory to Bengal and India.
“Richa has shown remarkable talent, composure, and fighting spirit on the world stage. Honouring her with this gold bat and ball is a small token of our recognition for her extraordinary contribution to Indian cricket. She is an inspiration for every young cricketer in Bengal and across the country,” Ganguly said.
Batting at No. 7, Richa provided the much-needed spark in the lower order, including a blistering 34 off 24 balls in the final against South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium, where India defeated Laura Wolvaardt’s side by 52 runs.
She smashed 12 sixes in the tournament, equalling Deandra Dottin’s record for the most sixes in a single Women’s World Cup. Richa is the second wicketkeeper from Siliguri to represent India after Wriddhiman Saha.
Her trophy cabinet now features the Women’s World Cup, U-19 World Cup, Women’s Premier League title, Asian Games gold, and Commonwealth Games silver.
The daughter of club-level cricketer turned umpire Manabendra Ghosh, Richa’s talent was spotted when she began playing at eight, made the Bengal U-19 team at 12, broke into the U-23 side the same year, and debuted for the senior team at 13.
In her early years, she was an all-rounder who opened both the batting and bowling, often sharing the new ball with Jhulan Goswami while keeping wickets.
East Bengal Club on Tuesday announced that they will also felicitate Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma for their roles in India’s title-winning campaign.
Deepti, who represented Bengal for seven seasons, was named player of the tournament for her performance, 22 wickets from nine matches and 215 runs with three fifties, including a crucial 58 in the final.
In letters addressed to the two players, East Bengal president Murali Lal Lohia lauded their efforts and invited them to be honoured “in a manner befitting their stature.”
Richa has credited head coach Amol Muzumdar for defining her role in the team’s setup.
“My main job was to finish innings strongly by scoring quickly in the final overs,” she said on JioStar’s Follow The Blues. “Whenever I got the chance to bat, my focus was on applying the finishing touches. I aimed to maintain a high strike-rate and put pressure on the opposition bowlers. Scoring those extra runs reduces the pressure on our team and gives us a better chance to win.”
“Amol sir made everyone’s role in the team very clear. For me, it was to play fearless cricket, look for the big shots, and finish the innings,” she added.
Richa’s father, Manabendra Ghosh, who has been a guiding force in her cricketing journey, said his daughter had perfectly executed her role in the World Cup. “I couldn’t take calls last night as I was busy celebrating with the team after the victory,” he told The Telegraph Online from Mumbai on 3 November.