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India wicket-keeper batter Richa Ghosh will be one of the many stars on show at next month’s ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, but the teenager has more immediate tasks at the front of her mind as she attempts to help her side to a series victory against Australia.
Ghosh produced some superb late hitting to help India clinch a thrilling Super Over victory over the Aussies in Mumbai on Sunday and the 19-year-old will once again be expected to prosper in her role as a finisher when the series moves to Brabourne Stadium for the crucial third game of the five-match series on Wednesday.
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Being able to find the boundary at the end of an innings is something that comes naturally to Ghosh, with the aggressive right-hander revealing she idolised India great MS Dhoni when she was growing up and used to watch on in awe as he forged his name as one of the best finishers in world cricket.
“Since childhood, I’ve followed Dhoni and how he used to finish the game,” Ghosh said.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to meet him yet. There have been times when he would leave just before we were in for a camp or a match at a venue. Hopefully I’ll meet him someday.”
There are plenty of traits in Ghosh’s batting style that are similar to Dhoni and the young star showed an abundance of power with a bevy of lusty late blows at the end of India’s innings against Australia.
Ghosh hit three sixes to help India tie the scores and then added another maximum from the bowling of Heather Graham on the first delivery of the Super Over to give her side the momentum.
“Smriti Didi (Mandhana) had told me ‘Khatam karke aana’ (get us over the line), so I just did that,” Ghosh said.
“I have always focused on power-hitting. I worked hard on it and also focused on my mental toughness. It all went according to our plan.”
Both Ghosh and star batter Shafali Verma will join up with the remainder of India’s Under 19 squad later this month ahead of the T20 World Cup that commences in South Africa on January 14.
India are drawn in Group D at the event alongside hosts South Africa, UAE and Scotland and Ghosh and Verma are expected to shine on the big stage given they already have plenty of international experience.
With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to follow shortly after the Under 19 event there is much to look forward to for Ghosh, but the well-spoken rising star of the game said she is putting all her energies into the ongoing series against Australia.
“We are only thinking about this series for now,” she said.
“Once we join the Under 19 camp, we will focus on those things.Â
“It won’t be a problem to get used to that set-up because both Shafali and I have known them for a while.”
Stand-in Australia captain Alyssa Healy had a front row seat to Ghosh’s magnificent display of power hitting in Mumbai and has issued a warning to the other teams at the Under 19 T20 World Cup.
While Ghosh struggled to make much of an impact during the recent WBBL series in Australia, Healy believes the sky is the limit for the impressive youngster.
“She came over to the WBBL and probably did not have quite the impact as she is having in this series,” Healy noted.
“It’s an interesting one for us, but the confidence that she is coming out and batting with, is probably a little terrifying for a lot of Under 19 World Cup sides out there.”
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