Richa Ghosh smashed a fifty off just 26 balls, which is the fastest by an Indian batter in ODIs but this went in vain as New Zealand won the 4th ODI by 63 runs.
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Richa Ghosh has impressed many Indian cricket fans with her stellar performance in the series against New Zealand. In the third ODI at Queenstown, she smashed 65 and shared a vital partnership with Mithali Raj. That stand was unique in many ways. Richa Ghosh was not even born when Mithali Raj made her debut and the century stand cemented her reputation. In the fourth ODI which was reduced to 20 overs due to rain, Richa Ghosh was the only player who stood tall amidst the ruins.
Richa Ghosh smashed four boundaries and four sixes in the fourth ODI as she notched up her fifty off 26 balls. This was the fastest fifty by an Indian batter in the history of ODI cricket. She had broken the earlier record of 29 balls that was created by Rumeli Dhar against Sri Lanka in 2008. The next fastest fifty was 32 balls was by Veda Krishnamurthy in the ODI against South Africa in 2018. Here is the list of fastest fifty by India women batters
| Players | Balls Faced For Fifty | Opponent | Year |
| Richa Ghosh | 26 | New Zealand | 2022 |
| Rumeli Dhar | 29 | Sri Lanka | 2008 |
| Vedar Krishnamurthy | 32 | South Africa | 2018 |
The heroics of Richa Ghosh could not help India avoid yet another defeat against New Zealand. After losing the T20I, India has now lost four consecutive ODIs. They are not building up good momentum for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022.
Read – India women’s agony prolonged by New Zealand in 4th ODI
Born in Siliguri on September 28, 2003, Ghosh made rapid strides in women’s domestic cricket. She was one of the few players who made a mark immediately on her international debut in Australia. Her T20I debut in the tri-series in Australia also featured England but it was not spectacular. She also played a few matches in the 2020 ICC Women’s World T20 but had a limited impact.
In the series against South Africa and England, Ghosh sparkled with some cameos . In this series against New Zealand, Richa Ghosh has already shown her mettle although the results have not gone in favour of India. Mithali Raj’s team has already lost the ODI and T20I series, currently trailing 0-5 in the six matches leading into the ICC Women’s World Cup. The tournament will begin on March 4. The last match for India in the current series against New Zealand is on February 22.
However, India can be happy about the fact Richa Ghosh is a star for the future when it comes to the women’s team. Players like Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh can spearhead a new generation of Indian stars in cricket.
