As Siliguri’s own Richa Ghosh, the wicketkeeper-batter of the Indian women’s cricket team led by Harmanpreet Kaur, prepares to take the field in Mumbai for the World Cup final on Sunday, her hometown is brimming with pride and excitement.

The Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) has arranged a live screening of the final match on a giant screen at Baghajatin Park, allowing residents to come together and cheer for their homegrown star.

“This is a proud moment for every resident, as Richa hails from our city and will play in the World Cup final tomorrow (Sunday),” said mayor Gautam Deb on Saturday.

“We have received numerous requests from people to organise a live screening so that everyone can experience the thrill together. Though the weather remains unpredictable, we’ve decided to go ahead with the screening at the Rabindra Mancha in Baghajatin Park from 3pm,” he said.

The civic body previously organised similar public screenings of major football and cricket matches at the centrally located park, turning it into a hub for sports enthusiasts.

The excitement for Richa is palpable across the city, and people are eagerly waiting for the summit clash, indicating how popular women’s cricket has become.

Siliguri Mahakuma Krira Parishad (SMKP), the sub-divisional sports body, congratulated Richa for her stellar performance in the tournament while announcing the launch of its first women’s cricket league.

“We are eagerly waiting to see her in the final. We want our girls to bring the cup home,” said Jayanta Saha, the working president of SMKP. “We will invite Richa to attend the final match of our own women’s cricket tournament.”

Veteran cricket coach Jayanta Bhowmik, the childhood coach of former India cricketer Wriddhiman Saha, is equally enthusiastic. “I will make sure to follow the world cup final from the very start,” he said.

Friday's victory of the Indian women’s team over Australia and their entry into the final has plunged Raiganj into cricket fever. From school students to political leaders, everyone is talking about the Sunday match.

Krishna Kalyani, the Raiganj MLA, said: “I’m a cricket fan anyway, and this is the world cup final. We had planned a Diwali get-together with the Marwari community on Sunday night, but we have postponed it to Monday because of Sunday's final."

“I am a huge fan of Virat Kohli, but honestly hadn’t followed women’s cricket much before. When I watched the women’s team’s semi-final on TV, I was amazed. The way they stayed calm under pressure and fought tooth and nail to win — it was incredible,” said Katha Sen, a Class XII student.

“I knew I had to watch the final from start to finish. I had two tuitions on Sunday afternoon, I requested our teacher to give us the day off. He agreed!” the student added.

Utpal Saha, the secretary of the Amra Sobai Puja Committee, organising Saraswati Puja at Raiganj Institute for 32 years, said they postponed a Puja-related meeting planned for Sunday.

“Our girls will fight for the world cup. We can’t afford to miss a single ball,” Saha said.