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It was a 'so near yet so far' moment for Richa Ghosh as she and her team Royal Challengers Bangalore fell agonizingly close to a memorable victory against the Delhi Capitals in the 17th match of the ongoing second edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL).
One of the most swashbuckling batters going around in women's cricket, Richa Ghosh smashed a scintillating 51 off 29 deliveries in a nail-biting run chase which included 4 fours and 3 sixes. However, with two required off the final delivery of the match, Richa was run out by the barest of margins to hand the Capitals a one-run victory.
Before coming into the game, Richa had expressed her desire to repay the faith RCB had shown in her abilities. Her knock had a sense of calmness as she almost single-handedly took her team over the finish line. Richa smashed a six on the penultimate delivery of the match but couldn't quite cross the hurdle.
Richa's national teammate Jemimah Rodrigues heaped praises on her and vouched for the fact that the knock will help her in the long run and hopefully, she can win a World Cup for India from a similar situation.
In the last couple of years, Richa has emerged as the X-factor player for India due to her incredible ball-striking abilities. Having said that, let us have a look at three possible reasons why Richa is the most valuable batter in the Indian Women's cricket team:
# Richa's fearless attitude as a batter
One of the most fearless ball strikers going around, Richa Ghosh's exuberance has rubbed onto whichever team she plays for. In the last two years, Richa Ghosh has cemented her place in the Indian national side and it has been mainly due to her exceptional ball-striking ability.
She doesn't really care about the reputation of a bowler and tries to take them on irrespective of the situation. Richa can turn any game with her ball striking and it was quite evident during the knock against the Delhi Capitals.
Given her ability to turn the game with her fearless attitude, Richa has emerged as one of the most valuable batters in the Indian team, if not the best.
# Her incredible six-hitting abilities
Women's cricket has evolved considerably in the last 5-6 years and Richa is among those new breed of cricketers who don't shy away from hitting the sixes. Finding the gaps and playing along the ground was the norm of women's cricket in India even a few years ago.
However, the emergence of players like Richa and Shafali Verma has changed the dimension of the game. 20-year-old Richa can hit sixes consistently against both fast and spin bowlers which is one of the most important attributes for any batter in the modern game.
# Ability to play the situation
While Richa is a powerful striker of the ball and can turn the complexion of the game with her six-hitting abilities, she is much more than just a hitter. Unlike youngsters of her age, Richa also has a different mold to her game when required.
Even in the game against the Delhi Capitals, Richa's knock wasn't all about power-hitting. She mixed caution with aggression and played according to the game's situation before going hammers and tongs towards the end. It was a very responsible knock, proving she is among the most valuable Indian batters.
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