Mithali Raj breaks down Richa Ghosh's stunning WPL knock
What's the story
Indian cricket legend, Mithali Raj, has praised Richa Ghosh for her phenomenal performance in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 season opener.
Ghosh smashed a brilliant 64* off 27 balls, leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to the highest successful run chase in WPL history.
The win came against Gujarat Giants (GG) in the season opener giving RCB's campaign a strong start.
Here's what Raj had to say about Ghosh's knock.
Match highlights
Ghosh's performance pivotal in RCB's victory
The match played in Vadodara, saw RCB win by six wickets.
This was mainly due to a half-century from Ellyse Perry (57 off 34 balls) and brave batting in the death overs by Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja.
"Richa Ghosh provided solid support to Kanika, who may not have hit big. It was an outstanding innings," said Raj in praise of the youngsters while speaking on JioHotstar.
Expert insight
Raj analyzes Ghosh's strategy and impact
As mentioned, in an interview with JioHotstar, Raj dissected Ghosh's strategy.
She said "When Richa Ghosh came in, she had just lost Ellyse Perry, and with Kanika Ahuja at the crease, both were new batters. They had to rebuild, especially with the asking rate over 12 runs per over."
"Richa provided solid support to Kanika," Raj said, adding that this allowed Ghosh to play her natural attacking game and deliver an impactful knock for RCB.
Game progression
Match details: GG set target, RCB respond
In the first inning, GG's opening pair of Beth Mooney and Laura Wolvaardt got off to a slow start.
Captain Ashleigh Gardner's unbeaten 79-run knock and Mooney's 56 runs off 42 balls propelled the Gujarat-based franchise to a formidable total of 201/5.
During RCB's 202-run chase, openers Smriti Mandhana and Danni Wyatt-Hodge were dismissed early on by Gardner.
However, Perry (57), Ghosh (64*), and Ahuja (30*) played exceptional knocks to chase down the target in just 18.3 overs.
Post-match reactions
Ghosh's power-hitting skills earn her 'Player of the Match'
For her brilliant knock, Ghosh was named the 'Player of the Match.'
Her power-hitting skills were on full display as she hit the match-winning six, drawing comparisons to former India captain MS Dhoni.
RCB skipper Mandhana expressed her delight at the win, praising Ghosh's batting. "The way Richa batted, it was brilliant to watch in the end," Mandhana said after the match.
Numbers
Ghosh owns 450+ WPL runs
After her stellar knock, the wicketkeeper-batter has now raced to 459 WPL runs at an average of 38.25.
She also boasts a strike rate of 148.06, including three fifties to her name.
Additionally, her heroic knock of 64* off 27 balls is her highest WPL score so far.
Notably, she is the second-highest run-scorer for RCB currently (trailing Ellyse Perry, 657 runs) and the sixth-highest overall.