Richa Ghosh Creates History: First-Ever 80+ Score at No. 8 in Women's ODI World Cup

Richa Ghosh blazed her way into cricket's record books with a breathtaking 94 off 77 balls against South Africa in Visakhapatnam on October 9, 2025, becoming the first player in ODI World Cup history—men's or women's—to score 80 or more runs while batting at No. 8 or below. Despite her heroics, India suffered a heartbreaking three-wicket defeat as Nadine de Klerk's counter-punch 84* helped South Africa chase down 252.

A World Record Performance

Ghosh's explosive innings shattered multiple records in one extraordinary knock. She surpassed Australia's Nathan Coulter-Nile, who held the previous record of 92 against West Indies during the 2019 Men's World Cup. Among women, the previous best was Chloe Tryon's 74 for South Africa against Sri Lanka earlier in 2025.

The 22-year-old wicketkeeper-batter also became the fastest Indian to reach 1,000 runs in Women's ODIs, achieving the milestone in just 1,010 balls—third-fastest overall behind Australia's Ashleigh Gardner (917) and England's Nat Sciver-Brunt (943).

From Collapse to Comeback

When Ghosh walked in at 102/6 in the 26th over, India's innings was in tatters. The top order had capitulated after a promising 55-run opening stand between Pratika Rawal (37) and Smriti Mandhana (23), losing five wickets for just 19 runs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma all fell cheaply as South African bowlers exploited the conditions brilliantly.

Ghosh initially focused on rebuilding with Amanjot Kaur (13), adding 51 runs before finding her perfect partner in Sneh Rana (33). Their electrifying 88-run eighth-wicket stand off just 53 balls transformed India's fortunes.

The Assault Begins

After reaching her fifty in 53 balls, Ghosh unleashed carnage. She plundered 44 runs off her final 24 deliveries, with the 47th over alone yielding 23 runs. Her innings featured 11 boundaries and four towering sixes, including massive slog-sweeps that cleared the boundary with ease.

The ACA-VDCA Stadium crowd chanted "Richa! Richa!" as she marched toward what would have been a maiden World Cup century. Agonizingly, she fell in the final over on 94, denied a fairytale ending after being dropped twice (on 76 and 84).

Record-Breaking Partnership

Ghosh and Rana's 88-run partnership became one of the highest eighth-wicket stands in Women's ODI history, though still short of the all-time record of 115. Their counter-attack propelled India from a vulnerable 153/7 to a competitive 251 all out.

The Result

Despite Ghosh's heroics, Nadine de Klerk stole the show with her own record-breaking 84* off 54 balls, also batting at No. 8. In a remarkable twist, both teams' No. 8 batters scored fifty-plus—a first in Women's ODI history. South Africa chased down the target with seven balls to spare, handing India their first loss of the tournament.