Richa Ghosh reached a significant career milestone, her 150th international appearance, while contributing a brisk 21 off 16 balls as India defeated Bangladesh by 40 runs in the first semi-final of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 on September 10 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, booking a place in their sixth straight final.
The 22-year-old wicket-keeper batter, who entered at No. 5 after Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty won the toss and chose to bowl, added valuable momentum in the middle order with two sixes during India’s 149/6. Her compact knock helped India finish the innings on a high, setting up a total that India’s bowlers comfortably defended by restricting Bangladesh to 109/7 in 20 overs. The 40-run victory not only extended India’s dominance in the tournament but also provided the perfect backdrop for Ghosh’s 150th cap across formats.
Richa Ghosh’s international journey began on February 12, 2020, in a T20I against Australia at the MCG, and she has since become one of India’s most reliable finishers. Across 92 T20Is, she has scored 1,365 runs in 77 innings at an average of 26.25 and a strike rate of 143.38, including two half-centuries. Her best T20I innings came in the 2024 Asia Cup at Dambulla on July 21, when she smashed an unbeaten 64 off 29 balls from No. 6 against the UAE, an innings studded with 12 fours and a six that powered India to 201/5 in a 78-run win, earning her the Player of the Match award.
In ODIs, Ghosh has accumulated 1,208 runs in 54 matches at an average of 28.76 and a strike rate of 102.45, with seven fifties in 52 innings since her debut on September 21, 2021, against Australia in Mackay. She made her Test debut on December 21, 2023, against Australia at the Wankhede, and has since scored 225 runs in four Tests at an average of 37.50, including three half-centuries in seven innings. Across formats, her ability to absorb pressure and accelerate in the death overs has made her indispensable to India’s middle order.
In the ongoing 2026 edition of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup, hosted by the UAE for the first time from August 28 to September 13, Ghosh has scored 32 runs at a strike rate of 106.66 in three innings so far. While not her most explosive tournament by the numbers, her experience and composure have been vital in India’s unbeaten run through the league stage, where Harmanpreet Kaur’s side topped Group A with six points from three games to reach the knockouts.
Three-time champions, India’s win over the 2018 champions Bangladesh continued their remarkable record in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, as they advanced to a sixth consecutive final. Bangladesh, who finished second in Group B with their only league defeat against Sri Lanka, fought hard but could not breach India’s well-drilled bowling unit on a Dubai surface that offered enough for the bowlers to control the middle overs. For Ghosh, the milestone appearance underscored her growth from a promising debutant in 2020 to a seasoned campaigner in India’s title-chasing core.
As India prepare for the final on September 13, Ghosh’s 150th international game stands as both a personal landmark and a symbol of the team’s sustained excellence in Asia’s premier women’s T20 tournament over the years.
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