"I would love to play for KKR if they build a Women's IPL team" - Richa Ghosh

Richa Ghosh was rubbing shoulders with legends like Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami at an age when most girls are in high school. The explosive wicketkeeper-batter from Bengal was just 16 when she made her senior India debut ahead of the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup and has so far featured in 17 ODIs and 14 T20Is.

Richa, now 18, represents that generation of Indian female batters for whom no boundary is big enough. Earlier this year, she broke her statemate Rumeli Dhar’s 14-year record for the fastest ODI fifty by an Indian woman when she smashed a 26-ball half-century in the fourth match of a bilateral series against New Zealand in Queenstown.

The knock, which included four fours and as many sixes, was the only resistance that came from the Indian camp in a rain-curtailed match that they lost by 63 runs. Despite the heavy defeat, Mithali, the then-captain of the Indian women’s ODI team, was so impressed by Richa’s effort that she earmarked the teenager as a future match-winner.

The past six months, however, have been anything but smooth for Richa. An unsuccessful World Cup campaign was followed by a disappointing Sri Lanka tour where her meager returns with the bat led to her temporary axing from the Indian squad.

She was replaced by Taniya Bhatia for the recently concluded Birmingham Commonwealth Games (CWG). The Women in Blue badly missed a middle-order enforcer in the final once Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur got out in quick succession while chasing Australia’s 161-8.

India are slated to play plenty of cricket leading up to next year’s Women's T20 World Cup. Richa has been recalled to the T20I squad for the upcoming white-ball away series against England, although an ODI return still eludes her. Having experienced a low so early in her career, Richa now aims to come back stronger and establish herself as a mainstay in the national team.

In a recent chat with Sportskeeda from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, the Siliguri-born stumper spoke about the ups and downs of her brief international career, how she’s trying to modify her game, and her Team India and Women’s IPL ambitions.

Here are the excerpts:

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Q: The Indian team claimed silver in the women’s cricket competition of the recently concluded Commonwealth Games. However, you didn’t travel to Birmingham as you were named a standby. How upsetting was it to miss out on the squad?

Richa: I was very sad after we lost the final, but I’m also proud of my teammates because they played some amazing cricket to reach the final.

Everyone wants to be in the 15-member squad, but I was a bit doubtful about my selection as I couldn’t perform to my potential in the World Cup and the Sri Lanka series. I’m working extremely hard to be a better version of myself.

Q: India lost the plot in the final once the 96-run partnership between Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur was broken in the 15th over. Do you think you could’ve made a difference had you been in that middle order?

Richa: I have the self-belief that I can win my team matches from any situation. I trust my ability in the middle order, but I can’t control people’s perception.

Q: Do you have a mentor who helps you get through tough times?

Richa: My family, friends, coaches and teammates have all helped me during such phases. I don’t get bogged down easily. I know my cricket will suffer if I lack motivation. When I was dropped from the Indian team, my well-wishers encouraged me to work harder. I need to start afresh in the T20 format.

Q: What type of changes do you want to bring in your approach?

Richa: I want to spend more time on the wicket.

Q: Have you spoken to Harmanpreet and Ramesh Powar lately?

Richa: I spoke to them after the Sri Lanka tour and they gave me some advice.

Q: Some former cricketers think you’ve lost your place in the ODI side because your wicketkeeping is “not up to the mark”. Do you agree?

Richa: I’m working very hard to improve my keeping skills, but I don’t think I am that bad a keeper. In fact, I created a wicketkeeping record earlier this year by becoming the first Indian female wicketkeeper to affect five dismissals [against Pakistan] on World Cup debut.

Every player can have bad days, but that shouldn’t overshadow the good work I’ve done behind the stumps. During my brief career, what I’ve understood is you don’t need to be a copybook keeper to be successful.

Q: Your idol, MS Dhoni, has the same philosophy…

Richa: Exactly!

Q: Congratulations on your return to India’s T20I squad. How important will the England tour be for you in your pursuit of an ODI comeback?

Richa: I want to go step by step. I’m more focused on T20s at the moment because we’ll play the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup in a few months from now. If I perform well in the T20Is, I’m sure it will pave the way for my ODI comeback.

Q: How much do the senior players support youngsters like you?

Richa: The senior players are very supportive and always stand by the youngsters. They not only praise us when we do well but also point out our mistakes. The Indian women’s dressing room has a very friendly atmosphere.

Q: Jhulan Goswami could play her farewell international match on September 24. Tell us about her impact on your growth as a player.

Richa: When I was in Kolkata, I met Jhulu di almost everyday. She gave me some helpful tips while we were in the Bengal camp together and also before I came to the NCA. She is a mentor to all the young players in the Indian team.

Q: Speaking of mentors, you hail from the same town as Wriddhiman Saha. Do you seek wicketkeeping tips from him?

Richa: Of course I do! Although I haven’t spoken to him recently, he always motivates me to perform better. He has advised me to focus on my game and not worry about what people are saying outside.

Q: The inaugural edition of the Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL) is supposed to start next year. What will the tournament mean for Indian women’s cricket?

Richa: It will be a huge thing for us. If it’s a six-team tournament, it will boost the talent pool in the country. The Australian team has benefited immensely from the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), and so has the English team. The Hundred has also helped England unearth new talent.

I think we need to get better at handling pressure situations, especially in the knockouts of big tournaments. Having a full-fledged Women’s IPL will give us an opportunity to play top-quality cricket with some of the best players in the world. If that happens, one doesn’t have to participate in the overseas leagues anymore.

Domestic players will then get a chance to share the dressing room with international pros and learn from their experience, as happens in the men’s IPL. Uncapped players will get an idea of the rigors of international cricket.

Q: Which Women’s IPL team do you aspire to play for? According to reports, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are planning to build a team for the Women’s IPL…

Richa: It’s good if they’ve already started planning [for the Women’s IPL]. Bengal have a lot of talented players who play at the club and district levels. If KKR can tap into this talent pool, it will give the girls an opportunity to take their game to the next level.

I’m a professional, so I’ll give my best to whichever franchise picks me. I would love to play for KKR if they build a Women's IPL team. It would be great if they select most of their players from Bengal. Their men’s team doesn’t have any local representation. Most franchises have local players, so it’s very important to promote local talent.

Q: What are your short-term goals?

Richa: As I said, we’ll play a lot of T20Is before next year’s Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa. I’m trying to improve my fitness as well as my match awareness. I’m also making a concerted effort to improve my shot selection and analyze opposition bowlers’ strengths and weaknesses.

I’m more accustomed to power-hitting, but I’ve now realized the value of preserving my wicket and making big scores. I’ve been preparing myself for that. You’ll see a new Richa from now on.