India’s young wicketkeeper-batsman, Richa GhoshPut in an encouraging and unforgettable performance, pulling off a miraculous save for the team. His unprecedented innings came during the decider ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 stability against South Africa At the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
This innings of 94 runs was more than a big score; It was a defiant display of power under extreme pressure. In the span of just 77 balls, Ghosh not only rescued India from the brink of collapse but also broke several world and tournament records. His maturity and aggressive approach, especially in the death overs, helped the team reach a total of 251. The 22-year-old’s brilliant efforts have cemented his status as one of the most exciting finishers in modern cricket history.
India’s Richa Ghosh broke the record by scoring 94 runs against South Africa in the Women’s World Cup 2025.
The bravery of a crisis and a record-setting partnership
With the Indian batting line-up tottering at 92/4, Richa walked into the middle at a dangerous moment and the situation quickly deteriorated as the score slipped to 102/6. The hosts were on the verge of being bowled out cheaply, but Richa responded with a brilliant, counter-attacking innings that defined courage.
He displayed excellent temperament and timing to score 94 runs off just 77 balls, hitting 11 fours and four big sixes during his stay. His primary task was stabilization, which he achieved with his partner in a vital 51-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Amanjot Kaur,
After that, the real rescue came when he Sneh Rana Displaying his fighting spirit and tenacity down the order, he played a heroic innings of 88 runs. This partnership of 88 runs for the seventh wicket holds significant statistical significance, as it is now the joint third highest partnership for the 8th wicket or below in the history of Women’s ODI.
Fast forward and the milestone of 1,000 ODI runs
Richa’s impressive innings against South Africa was important not only for her defensive quality, but also for its wider impact on her rapidly rising international career trajectory. During her innings, she achieved an important individual feat by crossing the 1,000-run mark in women’s One Day International cricket when she completed her 53rd run of the innings. She is now the 12th Indian batsman to reach this prestigious four-figure milestone, which is a testament to her consistency since her debut.
However, the most notable record associated with this feat is the speed with which he achieved it, measured by the number of balls faced, which confirms his attacking style. Richa officially became the third fastest player to reach 1,000 runs faced balls in Women’s ODI history, requiring only 1,010 balls to achieve this monumental feat. This pace places him behind renowned power-hitters such as the prestigious company Australia‘S meg lanning (1,011 balls) and Alyssa Healy (1,022 balls) in the list. Australian only Ashley Gardner (917 balls) and England‘S Nat Sciver-Brunt (943 balls) remains ahead of him in this special ranking of aggressive run scorers.
The 94 he scored was his 7th half-century in his 46th ODI, confirming his ability to score enough when the team needed him most. His total figures now stand at 1,041 runs in 44 innings, maintaining a good average of 29.74, a figure which continues to increase with every such impressive performance.
Dominance from low position and history of World Cup 2025
The placement of Richa’s innings in the batting order increased its significance, leading to several unique position-specific records being broken in the ODI format. Her brilliant 94 runs in the lower-middle order is now the highest individual score by any batsman batting at number eight or lower in the entire history of women’s ODI cricket. This record was earlier in the name of South Africa chloe tryonwho had scored 74 earlier the same year, demonstrating the magnitude of Ghosh’s new benchmark.
Focusing specifically on the World Cup, Richa became the first player in the 52-year history of the tournament to score more than 80 runs from number seven or lower. In doing so, he broke a long-standing World Cup record dating back to 1997, highlighting the extreme rarity of such a high score from a tail-end position. Furthermore, his innings is the second highest by a batsman ranked No. 6 or lower in World Cup history, behind only Ashley GardnerScored 115 runs in the same 2025 tournament.
Richa is the third player in World Cup history to register a half-century from the eighth position or below, and notably, all three are Indians. Ultimately, she became the fourth youngest wicket-keeper batsman to score a half-century in the Women’s World Cup, while also holding a unique record as the first glovesman under the age of 23 to score more than 90 runs in an innings at the mega-event.
This article was first published here WomenCricket.comA Cricket Times Company.
