Richa Ghosh, a major factor in India's victorious path at the Women's World Cup 2025, is going to be accorded a rare honour in her native region. In the flagship event, the 22-year-old wicketkeeper-batter made 235 runs at an average of 39.16 in eight matches, with her dying overs injections being pivotal in a number of close matches. After her feats, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared that a stadium in Siliguri will be named after her, thus extending her imprint as one of the most brilliant cricketing talents of the Bengal region.
The stadium named the "Richa Cricket Stadium", will feature a 27-acre plot development at Chandmani Tea Estate. "Honouring Richa is an encouragement to more young cricketers from North Bengal," Banerjee said. The government of the state is going to take up the work shortly.
Celebrations and honours for the World Cup hero, Richa Ghosh
The West Bengal government has already honoured Richa with the Banga Bhushan award, appointed her Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), and presented her with a gold chain. The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) gave her the equivalent of Rs 1 lakh for every run she scored in the World Cup final against South Africa, which amounted to Rs 34 lakh.
Under pressure, Richa's composure was brilliant: that's what former BCCI president and CAB chief Sourav Ganguly said, who was a great but unlucky at the 2003 World Cup. He pointed out her important 34 off 24 balls in the final that led India to score a challenging 298/7 and eventually win the title. Ganguly stated, "It's very hard for the role she does lower down the batting order. I think the people will remember only Jemimah's 127* or Harmanpreet's 89 in the semifinals, but Richa's strike rate of 130-plus is what turned the game. The thing she has done is of the same value as Smriti's or Harman's."
Richa was one of the district-level trial candidates in Siliguri for Bengal, a program that was started after India Sid the Super Six stage in 2013, and that's exactly where her journey took off. Her talent was so obvious from the beginning that she didn't take much time to climb the ladder and be referred to as a major national team figure.
Speaking about her preparation and handling pressure, Richa said, “When I bat at the nets, I set a target for how many runs I can score in a specific time. That helps me in big matches. I like to take pressure, but I keep calm by watching movies and staying away from home.”
The Banga Bhushan and Banga Bibhushan awards are the highest civilian honours in West Bengal, conferred on individuals who have excelled in fields ranging from art and culture to public service, further highlighting the significance of Richa’s achievements.
