Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has praised Indian female cricketer Richa Ghosh. Along with appreciating the Indian wicketkeeper, he has also backed him to grow into a great leader in the game and emerge as India captain one day.
Just days after India defeated South Africa in the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 in Navi Mumbai, former captain Shantha Ragaswamy asked the BCCI to remove World Cup-winning skipper Harmanpreet Kaur from the captaincy.
Sourav Ganguly backs Richa Ghosh as India captain
Former Indian captain and legend Sourav Ganguly created a major controversy on Saturday by suggesting a new captain for the Indian women’s team. The new candidate was none other than Bengal’s first World Cup winning cricketer Richa Ghosh.
The BCCI is yet to comment on the future of Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur as she faces a long gap before starting the campaign, which is scheduled to begin in early January. The Indian team will now focus on the shortest format as they aim for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England.
“Winning the World Cup is a special, special win and only Richa can tell us how it feels,” Ganguly said, adding that she has the talent to lead the country in women’s cricket one day.
“Your career has just begun. Women’s cricket will grow massively in the next four to six years, and there will be more opportunities. I hope you make the most of them and one day, like Jhulan, we will stand here and say, ‘Richa – India’s captain.’ You’re 22 now…you have time. Sourav Ganguly said, blessings and hearty congratulations to everyone.
‘The role he plays while batting lower down the order is very difficult’ – Sourav Ganguly
The 22-year-old cricketer hails from Siliguri and has been playing a vital role for India across all formats. He has scored 235 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of around 133.5. This strike rate seems extraordinary in women’s cricket, especially in the ODI World Cup.
She played the most special innings during their chase against South Africa, where she missed her first century of the World Cup after scoring 94 runs in 77 balls. He also hit 12 sixes in the World Cup, the second most by any batsman in the world.
She became the fastest player to score 1000 runs for India in the history of women’s cricket. Appreciating her ability to perform under pressure, Sourav Ganguly said, “The role she plays while batting lower down the order is very difficult. You get less balls, but you have to score as many runs as possible.”
Sourav Ganguly said, “People may remember Jemimah’s unbeaten 127 or Harmanpreet’s 89 in the semi-finals, but Richa’s strike rate of over 130 made the difference. What she has done is at par with Smriti or Harman.”
Richa Ghosh honored by West Bengal government
After winning the World Cup on November 2, Richa Ghosh was rewarded by BCCI as well as ICC. He was welcomed with great respect in his home country as a true World Cup star.
Richa was given the Banga Bhushan Award and appointed Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) by the Government of West Bengal, and was also given a gold chain. The Cricket Association also gave him a reward of Rs 34 lakh, i.e. Rs 1 lakh for every run he scored in the final.
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