India's attacking wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh went ballistic against UAE in the ongoing Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2024. Richa broke the record for highest individual score by a wicketkeeper-batter in Women's T20 Asia Cup history. He scored 64 runs from 29 balls at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla on July 21.
Richa’s fiery knock also helped India post 200-plus total for the first time in T20Is. India posted a mammoth total of 201/5. India's previous-highest total in T20Is was 198/4 against England. It came in March 2018.
The previous-best score by a wicketkeeper-batter in the tournament was 53. Bangladesh's Nigar Sultana scored 53 runs from 34 balls against Malaysia in the previous edition of the tournament. Only Malaysia's Wan Julia is another wicketkeeper-batter on the list who has scored a half-century.
The previous-best score for an Indian wicketkeeper-batter in the tournament belonged to Richa as well. She scored an unbeaten 19-ball 33 against Malaysia in 2022 edition of the tournament.
Flurry of boundaries in slog overs
Richa came in to bat in the 12th over of the innings after Jemimah Rodrigues lost her wicket to Kavisha Egodage. She hit a six off the sixth ball he faced. In the 15th over, she hit Esha Oza for three consecutive fours. In the penultimate over, she had a mix-up with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur who lost her wicket. She followed it up with five consecutive fours off Heena Hotchandani. She got to her half-century from 26 balls. The 20-year-old’s knock was studded with 12 fours and a six.
Harmanpreet breaks record too
Meanwhile, Harmanpreet broke the record for highest individual score as captain in women's T20 Asia Cup. The previous record belonged to Pakistan's Bismah Maroof who scored 62 runs from 37 balls against Malaysia in 2018 edition of the tournament. She is also the second captain after Maroof to hit two half-centuries in the tournament.
She walked in to bat in the sixth over after Shafali Verma departed for an 18-ball 37 cameo. Her 47-ball 66 was laced with seven fours and a six.
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