India wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh has thanked her senior teammates for helping her get back among the runs before the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The 22-year-old has started the tournament well after a difficult period before the World Cup. Ghosh played an important innings of 34 runs from just 17 balls in India’s 64-run win over Pakistan at Edgbaston on Sunday, June 14, 2026. Before that, she also scored a quick 68 in India’s warm-up match against England in Cardiff.
These performances came after a tough run where she scored only 18 runs in four innings. However, Ghosh always believed that the runs would come if she continued working hard and stayed focused on her game.
Speaking about that period, Ghosh said she trusted herself and kept working on improving her skills.
“At that time, I just stayed focussed on my game because, although I was not getting the runs at the time, I knew what I could do,” said Ghosh. “I was thinking that I could work more on my drills and just remaining focussed. And that it was okay if I’m not getting it, as I was in good touch at that time, but not getting runs. This happens.
“I spoke to Harry (Harmanpreet Kaur) and all the seniors, Smriti [Mandhana] too, about what to do. And they said, ‘don’t worry, just play your game and just focus’. That’s it. And that helped me also.”
India’s next match is against the Netherlands at Headingley in Leeds on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. The Netherlands are playing in their first ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and showed good fight in their opening match against Bangladesh. They came close to getting a memorable win and impressed many people with their performance.
Ghosh said India respects every team and will not take the Netherlands lightly.
She added, “I saw them before the World Cup. They have good bowlers and for them it’s the first time. They’re doing really well and every team is like, ‘they can do well’. I think they’ve done really well. That’s why they’re here and we are not taking any team easily and we’re just looking forward.”
Netherlands head coach Neil MacRae also praised India and the growth of women’s cricket in the country. He said the Women’s Premier League has helped Indian players improve and gain valuable experience.
“The rise of Indian women’s cricket has been an inspiration for everybody, particularly in the last few years,” he said. “With four years of the WPL and winning their first World Cup last year in the 50-over format, you can see that progression has really come through the WPL experience and the team has gone to a different level.”
MacRae was also happy with how his players handled the pressure of playing their first-ever World Cup match. He believes that experience will help them in the matches ahead.
He added, “It’s a privilege for us to be at a World Cup taking on a team of the might of India, a country steeped in so much history and passion for cricket. It’s an unbelievable opportunity to take on one of the world’s best teams.
“I thought in the first game against Bangladesh we played some good cricket, but the occasion of our first-ever T20 World Cup match weighed quite heavily on the players.
“I wouldn’t say it overwhelmed [the players]. I actually think they dealt with the situation brilliantly, but it was still an overwhelming experience because nothing prepares you for your first T20 World Cup game other than going through it. I thought they coped really well. Having experienced that now, they’re much better placed in the second game to come out and play their best cricket.”
In India’s previous match against Pakistan on June 14, Ghosh played an important role in the win. India scored 170/6 in 20 overs, with Smriti Mandhana making 68 and captain Harmanpreet Kaur adding 36. Ghosh then helped India finish strongly with a quick 34 off 17 balls, hitting five fours and one six. Pakistan were later bowled out for 106 in 17 overs as Deepti Sharma took 5/10 and won the Player of the Match award. Ghosh’s attacking innings helped India put up a strong total and gave her confidence before the June 17 match against the Netherlands.
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