Women’s Premier League 2023: Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Richa Ghosh Says She Enjoys ‘Performing Under Pressure’

Young India wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh hit the jackpot at the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 auction earlier this month, with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) bringing her home for Rs 1.9 crores. Ghosh will now like to stake her claims in the first-ever WPL which gets underway in Mumbai on Saturday (March 4).

Richa Ghosh is only 19, but the confidence and maturity she has is striking. “I enjoy performing under pressure,” Ghosh said in an episode of ‘Know Your Stars’, available on JioCinema, leading up to the Women’s Premier League (WPL).

Not just the Bangalore-franchise but most fans will be keeping an eye on this player from Siliguri through the inaugural season. Ghosh struggled to find supporters for her cricketing aspirations initially, but her father’s determination ensured she fought her way through the ranks and entered national reckoning by the age of 16.

“When she started playing, I just thought it would be good for her fitness. I was also around so I could watch over her during my own practice sessions. I suggested table tennis to her, and I took her to the local academy for a trial. She hit a couple of balls and put the racquet down and said, ‘I will only play cricket’,” revealed Richa’s father, Manabendra Ghosh, on the show.

Ghosh, who was part of the team that won the 2023 U-19 T20 World Cup also shed light on her struggles to make it big in the game. “In the beginning, not a lot of people from Siliguri supported me. I was not getting a chance to break through in my district… The difficulties they (my parents) endured from people during those times… today the same people come and socialize with them. My parents are happy that whoever troubled them then are the ones coming now to enquire about her.”

Such was Ghosh family’s commitment to fulfil their daughter’s dreams that Manabendra sold his business to support her career. “I didn’t want to make an excuse that because I was busy running the business which brought us income, I could not support her career. Now that I shut down my source of livelihood, I am free, so wherever she needs to go, I can accompany her,” he explained.

Now that Ghosh has become one of the most sought-after players, she wants to utilize the money wisely. “I want to buy a flat in Kolkata where my family can settle down and enjoy their lives because they’ve struggled a lot. My father still umpires games and after this (WPL), I don’t want him to work. From now, me and my sister, both of us will work hard and let out parents enjoy their life.”

She spoke of her admiration for big hitters. “I used to really like players who hit sixes to win matches. I felt like I also wanted to hit those shots,” said Ghosh. Well, she will get ample opportunities to fulfil this wish during the WPL!”

The 19-year-old has turned out in 35 T20I games till date and scored 563 runs at an average of 26.8 and a strike-rate of 133.41. She was also part of the U19 World Cup-winning team under the captaincy of Shafali Verma.