Richa Ghosh, who starred in India Women’s World Cup-winning campaign with her timely cameos, big sixes and glovework behind the stumps, received a spectacular and warm reception on her return to her hometown on Friday, celebrating her outstanding achievements on the international stage.
The celebrations began at the Bagdogra airport, where Richa was welcomed by Gautam Deb, the mayor of Siliguri, along with her father Manabendra Ghosh, and representatives from several sports associations and NGOs.
Former Left Front minister and CPM leader Ashok Bhattacharya also visited Richa’s home to felicitate her.
Despite a delayed flight, crowds had gathered along the Asian Highway-II, Hill Cart Road, and other streets of the city, eager to catch a glimpse of the Siliguri star.
“I am overwhelmed by the reception I have received. Seeing young players come here to cheer is a great motivation,” Richa said.
“When I started playing, I didn’t know that girls played cricket separately. I used to play with boys. After playing at the district level, I realised the opportunities for women cricketers. Now, with the Women’s Premier League and our World Cup victory, I hope even more girls will be encouraged to take up the sport and excel,” she added.
A grand felicitation for Richa, who aggregated 235 runs at a strike rate of 133.52 in the World Cup, has also been planned by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) on Saturday. She will be presented with a gold-plated bat and ball by the CAB.
Not just Richa, many of her teammates were also greeted and cheered on their arrival in their respective hometowns.