The glittering ceremony may have been long over, but the misty air over Eden Gardens was still throbbing with an energy of pride and glory. One that chokes you with a happy lump in the throat. As the bustling weekend traffic hurtled past the historic Strand Road address, there were those who had stayed back, creating a collage that narrated myriad emotions. A little girl cradled by her father, with one plea — one picture — tears rolling down her face. A large number of media cameras, waiting patiently at The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) gate. Policemen huddled at various points, in and around the iconic venue. The significance of the moment was palpable. A shift, evident.

The lofty Eden Gardens seemed to just witness it all, with a smile on its face, as bright as the floodlights. As did Richa Ghosh. The star member of the Women’s World Cup-winning contingent who hails from Siliguri. And, in whose honour, CAB president Sourav Ganguly had rolled out the red carpet. One of affection, recognition and one sporting star’s salute to another.

The 22-year-old was in Calcutta to savour every minute of 'Celebrating Vision & Victory', a felicitation ceremony organised by CAB, spearheaded by Ganguly. Dressed in her crisp white shirt, the Team India suit and a neat ponytail, Richa was a picture of composure. Zero frills and a certain balance of emotions defined her demeanour.

“This does feel like a dream. I practise target-setting at the nets, choose which balls to hit, and try to stay away from the phone (to minimise the pressure of expectations before big matches),” she said at the programme.

Richa started playing for the Bengal senior team when she was all of 14. By 16, she had made her WT2OI debut. Her ODI debut was in 2021, and she made her Test debut in 2023. In the Women’s Premier League (WPL), she plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The franchise has retained her for the upcoming tourney.

Known for her gutsy power hitting, with a strike rate of 142.45 in WT2OI and 150.96 in WPL, Richa played a valuable knock of 34 off 24 balls, to give her team the momentum it needed in their quest for their maiden World Cup victory.

This was preceded by an Asia Cup win in 2022, the Under-19 women’s T20 World Cup trophy in 2023, and a WPL champion’s medal in 2024.

“The win (World Cup) wasn’t difficult to fathom because this has been our dream for a very long time. When the last wicket fell, it did sink in, but I have only processed the magnitude in due course of time,” Richa told t2, when we met her exclusively at Sourav Ganguly’s office at CAB, post-felicitation.

Sleep had eluded her before the big night, though. “I couldn’t sleep well the night before the finals. Ma was there with me, and she had fallen asleep. The light rehearsals were on, and I was watching those,” she smiled. India won by 52 runs against South Africa on November 2.

The finals were a rollercoaster of prayers, nerves, adrenaline rush and do-or-die excellence on the field. “There is, of course, the pressure of the finals, but I was telling myself I have to be calm because it’s an important match. Things can change anytime,” said Richa, who enjoys pressure situations in matches. She said she thrives under pressure.

Her immediate family was by her side on Saturday as they were at DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai a week ago. Father Manabendra Ghosh, mother Swapna Ghosh and elder sister Shomasree (27). And, it was easy to see where her girl-next-door simplicity stemmed from. “The feeling is indescribable... can’t express in words,” shared her father. Simple people. Big dreams. Extremely relatable.

“The entire family was celebrating with me. I later called my friends and coaches. As a family, we have celebrated and tried to savour the moment,” Richa told t2. The dressing room erupted into one big night-long winning party, shared Richa. And, while the celebrations will continue, Richa now wants to cherish some well-deserved “me-time”.

As we left CAB, the enthusiasm hadn’t dimmed one bit. The wait was still on. The little girl had got her picture, though. Richa had lifted her in her arms, and the child had whispered, “I too want to play cricket, like you.” “Play well, okay?” Richa told her with warmth and gentleness.

The child was neither the only one in a Richa Ghosh jersey on Saturday, nor were her dreams hers alone any more. Experts will say this is the dawn of a new era. The push on the accelerator. Utter romantics, however, will remember what C.L.R. James wrote in his seminal Beyond a Boundary, 62 years ago. ‘What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?’ Indeed.

The legendary Mithali Raj, who captained India to the 2017 World Cup final where England won by nine runs, had told t2 right after: “For this World Cup, the team started really well and that’s how people started to follow us worldwide. Even the finals, I am told, were watched by a record number of people on TV. That shows how much interest we could manage to develop for people to actually sit and watch women’s cricket. It has changed a lot of perceptions in people… how they look at women’s cricket… and look at it as a sport which can be a professional career for young girls if they actually are interested or keen to pursue it.”

Well, it’s a moment in history, and it’s raining dreams. #justdoit