Richa Ghosh as opener? Harmanpreet Kaur in awe of Indian batter after cameo vs Pakistan

Harmanpreet Kaur was full of praise for Richa Ghosh and even floated the idea of ​​using her as an opener after her impressive cameo against Pakistan. On Sunday, June 14, Richa played a brilliant 34 off 17 balls, including five fours and a six, as India won by 64 runs at Edgbaston, Birmingham to start their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign on a high.

Batting at No.6, Richa provided the late-innings flurry that India needed, shifting the momentum with her intrepid strokeplay. Harmanpreet admitted that if it was up to her, she would like to promote Richa to the top of the order. However, she also clarified that Richa has a defined role in the middle order and the team is happy with the impact she continues to provide in that position.

“If it’s in my hand, I’d like to send her on the first ball. But I think she has a role to play and she’s doing really well and she’s really happy with how she played today,” Harmanpreet said after the match.

HOW RICH RULED PAKISTAN

Richa produced a match-defining cameo against Pakistan, swinging the momentum towards India with a fearless display of power hitting in the middle and death. She started with intent from the moment she arrived at the crease, announcing herself with a sharp boundary from Sadia Iqbal, stepped back and drove over right point with authority.

From there, Richa only grew in confidence and took spinners and seamstresses. Against Tasmia Rubabova, she cleared the reach, turned to a strong pull, cut a thick edge over backward point and then settled for a clean six that lifted India’s score dramatically. She followed it up with more boundaries over cover and mid-wicket, ensuring that the Pakistani bowlers were forced into defence.

Even as Nashra Sandhu tried to slow things down with clever variations, Richa showed composure, spin hitting and waiting for loose balls. At the death, she added more impact with a mix of aggressive hitting and controlled improvisation, including a sweeping boundary and some well-thought-out forays under pressure.

Her innings eventually came to an end when Fatima Sana’s clever scissors beat the swing and hit the stumps in the final over. But by then, Richa had done the damage, injecting late momentum and taking India well beyond par total with her explosive, game-changing cameo.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

14 Jun 2026 23:51 IST