Visakhapatnam: India’s explosive wicketkeeper-batter, Richa Ghosh, etched her name in the history books on Thursday with an incredible innings against South Africa in the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. She not only set a new record for the fastest 1000 runs in ODIs for India but also rescued the team from a precarious situation with a fiery 94 off just 77 balls. However, she agonizingly fell short of her maiden ODI century by a mere 6 runs a moment of heartbreak for her and millions of Indian fans.
The Glory of Becoming the Fastest Indian
During this crucial match in Visakhapatnam Richa achieved a major milestone as she scored her 53rd run. In terms of balls faced she became the fastest Indian woman to complete 1000 runs in One-Day Internationals. Globally she now stands third on this list behind only Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner (917 balls) and England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt (943 balls). She is the 12th Indian woman batter to achieve this landmark.
Richa Plays the Role of a Rescuer
The Indian team was in deep trouble at one stage struggling at 102 for 6 wickets. With big names like Captain Harmanpreet Kaur (9) and Jemimah Rodrigues (0) back in the pavilion it seemed the team might not even reach the 150-run mark. It was then that Richa Ghosh, coming in to bat at number eight displayed immense courage and aggression.
She first steadied the innings with Amanjot Kaur and then forged a blistering 88-run partnership for the 8th wicket with Sneh Rana (33) in just 53 balls. In her characteristic fashion Richa launched an assault on the South African bowlers hitting spectacular shots all around the ground. Her 77-ball knock was studded with 11 boundaries and 4 towering sixes.
The Heartbreak of a Near-Miss
In the final over of the innings, with Richa playing on 94 everyone was anticipating her maiden ODI century. However in an attempt to hit a big shot she was caught on the boundary bringing a memorable innings to an end. The disappointment of not reaching the milestone was clearly visible on her face but she received a standing ovation from the entire stadium as she walked back to the pavilion.
Thanks to her courageous innings the Indian team posted a challenging score of 251 in 49.5 overs giving the bowlers a strong total to defend. Richa’s performance will be remembered for a long time not just for the statistics but for the sheer grit and determination she showed under immense pressure.
Also Read: Women’s World Cup: South Africa Wins Toss, Puts India in to Bat After Rain Delay
