India’s Richa Ghosh breaks multiple records with a stunning 94 against South Africa at the 2025 Women’s World Cup

India’s young wicketkeeper-batsman, Richa Ghoshdelivered an exciting and unforgettable performance, pulling off a miraculous rescue for the team. Her phenomenal knock came during the crucial one ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 fixture against South Africa at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

This innings of 94 runs was much more than just a big score; it was a challenging exhibition of abuse of power under extreme pressure. In the space of just 77 deliveries, Ghosh has not only brought India back from the brink of the abyss but also broken several world and tournament records along the way. Her maturity and aggressive approach, especially in the death overs, helped the side reach a fighting total of 251. The 22-year-old’s spectacular efforts have cemented her status as one of the most exciting finishers in modern cricket history.

India’s Richa Ghosh breaks records with a striking 94 against South Africa at the 2025 Women’s World Cup

A crisis knock and record-breaking partnership heroics

Richa walked into the middle at a dangerous moment with the Indian batting line-up reeling at 92/4, and the situation quickly deteriorated as the score fell to a desperate 102/6. The hosts stared down the barrel of a cheap lay-off, but Richa responded with a majestic counter-attack that defined courage.

She smashed 94 runs off just 77 balls, showing brilliant temperament and timing as she hit 11 boundaries and four huge sixes during her stay. Her main task was stabilization, which she achieved first by forming a valuable 51-run partnership for the seventh wicket with her partner. Amanjot Kaur.

Then came the real saving grace when she combined with Sweet Rana to form a heroic 88-run stand, demonstrating their fighting spirit and tenacity in the lower order. This 88-run partnership for the seventh wicket carries significant statistical weight as it is now the third highest partnership for the 8th wicket or lower in the history of Women’s ODIs.

Rapid climb and the milestone of 1,000 ODI runs

Richa’s impressive innings against South Africa was significant not only for its saving quality, but also for its wider implications for her rapidly accelerating international career trajectory. During her batting, she achieved a major personal milestone by surpassing the 1,000-run mark in Women’s One-Day International cricket when she crossed the 53rd run of her innings. She is now the twelfth Indian batswoman to achieve this coveted four-figure milestone, a testament to her consistency since her debut.

However, the most remarkable record associated with this feat is the speed at which she achieved it, measured by the number of balls she faced, which confirms her attacking style. Richa officially became the third fastest player in Women’s ODI history to reach 1,000 runs through balls played, requiring just 1,010 deliveries for the monumental achievement. This pace puts her in elite company, surpassing celebrated power hitters such as Australia‘S I laning (1,011 balls) and Alyssa Healey (1,022 balls) on the list. Only Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner (917 balls) and England‘S Nat SPE Brunt (943 balls) remain ahead of her in this exclusive ranking of aggressive point scorers.

The 94 runs she hit also marked her 7th half-century in her 46th ODI match, confirming her ability to rack up substantial scores when the team needs them most. Her overall stats now stand at 1,041 runs from 44 innings, with a decent average of 29.74, a figure that continues to rise with all such impressive performances.

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Dominance from a low position and 2025 World Cup history

The placement of Richa’s innings in the batting order enhanced its significance, leading to a host of unique position-specific records being broken in the ODI format. Her stunning 94 runs from lower middle order is now the highest individual score by any batswoman batting at position number eight or below in the entire history of Women’s ODI cricket. This record was previously held by South Africa Chloe Tryonwho had scored 74 runs earlier that year, demonstrating the magnitude of Ghosh’s new benchmark.

Richa focused specifically on the World Cup, becoming the first player in the tournament’s 52-year history to score more than 80 points from number seven or lower. In doing so, she broke a long-standing World Cup record held since 1997, highlighting the sheer rarity of such a high score from a tail position. In addition, her innings is the second-highest by a batter in World Cup history from number six or lower, trailing only Ashleigh Gardner‘s 115 runs achieved in the same 2025 tournament.

Richa is also the third player, and remarkably all three are Indians, in World Cup history to record a fifty from eighth spot or below. Finally, she became the fourth youngest wicketkeeper-batsman to hit a half-century in the Women’s World Cup, while at the same time holding the clear record as the first under-23 glovesman to score more than 90 runs in an innings at the mega event.

READ also: Women’s World Cup 2025: Fans react to Richa Ghosh’s controversial dismissal during IND-W vs SA-W clash

This article was first published on WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.