Richa Ghosh’s rise in international cricket reached another high as the young wicketkeeper-batter became the fastest to score 1000 runs in women’s T20 Internationals in terms of balls faced. The landmark moment came in the second T20I against England at Bristol, when Richa top-edged a short ball from Lauren Filer for four. At just 21, she reached the milestone in only 702 deliveries, setting a new record in the format’s history.
Now boasting 1029 runs in 64 T20I appearances across 53 innings, Richa holds a formidable strike rate of 143.11 — currently the highest among all women with over 1000 career runs in T20Is. Her power-hitting reputation is further backed by her record for the joint-fastest half-century in women’s T20I history, matching Sophie Devine and Phoebe Litchfield with a 50 off just 18 balls. In the Indian cricket history, Richa is now the seventh batter to cross the 1000-run mark in the shortest format.
While Richa made headlines with her milestone, the Indian team delivered a complete performance to make history of their own. By securing a win in Bristol, India became the first team to defeat England in a women’s T20I at the venue, ending the hosts’ previously unbeaten streak of five matches there. This victory also marked the first time England has suffered two defeats in a five-match bilateral T20I series.
India’s innings did not start smoothly, slipping to 31/3 early on. However, the visitors staged a strong recovery through half-centuries from Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur. Both the batters scored 63 runs, steering India to an imposing total of 181/4 in 20 overs. For Amanjot, the innings marked her maiden T20I fifty, a career-best effort that showcased her growing stature in the team.
Her impact wasn’t limited to batting. With the ball, Amanjot contributed a tidy spell, taking one wicket for 28 runs in three overs. England, in response, managed 157/7, falling short by 24 runs. India thus claimed a 2-0 lead in the series. The first match had already seen a dominant 97-run win, with stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana smashing her maiden T20I century, a defeat that now stands as England’s heaviest in T20Is by the biggest margin.
Reflecting on the team’s commanding performance, Amanjot shared her thoughts after being named the Player of the Match. She emphasised the squad’s new identity and intent, saying that regardless of the venue — home or away — the goal remains the same, i.e., to dominate, and they executed that plan perfectly on the day.
With the series in their grasp, India now look ahead to the third T20I scheduled for July 4 at The Oval in London, where they will aim to wrap up the series in style.
