Richa Ghosh Bats Through Painful Hairline Fracture to Shine in Women’s World Cup 2025 Knockouts
Richa Ghosh batted through hairline finger fracture in Women's World Cup 2025 semis and final for India's historic win.
India’s celebrated wicket-keeper batter Richa Ghosh was one of the standout stars of the historic Women’s World Cup 2025 victory, smashing 12 sixes—the joint-most in a single edition—and playing vital innings in the semi-final and final. What remained largely unknown until recently was that Richa played these knockout games enduring the pain of a hairline fracture on the middle finger of her left hand, a fact revealed by her childhood coach Shib Shankar Paul.
Paul recounted how Richa suffered the injury during wicket-keeping antics in the virtual quarter-final against New Zealand, which forced her to miss a game. Despite the fracture, she displayed extraordinary mental toughness in the semi-final against Australia by scoring 26 off 16 balls during India’s record chase of 339 runs. In the final against South Africa, her late 34-run knock off 24 balls helped India set a formidable target and ultimately clinch their maiden World Cup title.
Assigned the finisher’s role by coach Amol Muzumdar, Richa emphasized the importance of role clarity and playing fearless cricket. She focused on maintaining a high strike rate in the death overs, applying finishing touches to ease pressure on the team. Her overall tournament tally of 235 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 133.52 was among the best for India, underscoring her key contribution to the team’s success.
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Richa also credited veterans such as former India pacer Jhulan Goswami for mentorship, which helped her adapt and excel in diverse situations. Following the final, the team celebrated not just with the trophy but also with a self-composed team song—a spontaneous expression of their joy and unity that immediately went viral.
Richa Ghosh’s journey from a young talent spotted at age eight to a record-equalling World Cup champion playing through painful injury exemplifies resilience, dedication, and youth empowerment in Indian women’s cricket. Her story adds an inspiring chapter to India’s historic triumph at the 2025 Women’s World Cup.
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