Harmanpreet-led Team India created history by clinching the maiden World Cup title, defeating South Africa in the final at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, and some players etched their names in the record books with standout individual performances. One of the standout performers was Richa Ghosh, whose MS Dhoni-like finishing down the order went largely unnoticed once India’s top order started scoring runs from the latter half of the tournament.
Richa Ghosh fractured her finger ahead of the semifinal
However, days after the finale, Bengal men's senior bowling coach Shib Shankar Paul revealed that Richa had played through the knockouts with a fractured finger. She injured herself while keeping wickets during the virtual quarterfinal against New Zealand, forcing her off the field and to miss the following game. Speaking to Sportstar, Paul confirmed that Richa had suffered a fracture on the middle finger of her left hand.
“The middle finger of her left hand had a hairline fracture ahead of the semifinal, yet she batted through it. She endured that pain, and that tells us about her immense mental strength. I had told her, irrespective of where she batted, she needed to trust each shot of hers, and she continued to do that,” Paul said.
Richa's performance in the Women's ODI World Cup 2025
Despite a fracture, Richa played an unbeaten 34 off 34 in the title decider while providing perfect support for Deepti Sharma, who helped India finish with a winning total of 298 for seven, the second-highest by a team in World Cup finals. Richa scored 235 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 133.5, including a fiery 77-ball 94 against South Africa in the league stage of the mega event.
"In a world where everyone is analysing where each player is strong and where a player can’t hit, you need to adapt, develop, and change. Otherwise, you will fall off the radar. Only Richa would know how she fine-tuned her technique. What we are seeing now is the end product. She has practised seven hours, day in and day out. If you are honestly hardworking, you will definitely see results,” Paul added.
Notably, the World Cup-winning Team India will come to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence. Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will arrive in New Delhi on Tuesday evening and will meet PM Modi on Wednesday