Richa Ghosh
KOLKATA: Richa Ghosh is ready to wear a new cap. The World Cup-winning cricketer was appointed Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the state police by the Bengal government on Saturday. Later in the evening, a glittering one-hour felicitation ceremony was organised for Richa by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) at the iconic Eden Gardens here. The 22-year-old cricketer went to the police headquarters in Kolkata in the afternoon to meet higher officials of state police where her appointment was finalised. She thus joined her World Cup-winning teammate Deepti Sharma (UP Police) along with other cricketers Mohammed Siraj (Telangana Police) and Joginder Sharma (Haryana Police) in the same post. At the Eden Gardens, Richa was presented with a golden bat and ball, while chief minister Mamata Banerjee personally handed over the Banga Bhushan medal, the DSP appointment letter and a gold chain. The CAB also handed her a cheque of Rs 34 lakh – Rs 1 lakh each for every run she scored in the World Cup final. Sharing the dais with former India captains Sourav Ganguly and Jhulan Goswami, Richa stood tall as the first from the state to bring home a World Cup. CAB president Ganguly emphasised on the batter’s strike rate. “I used to open the innings but know how difficult is the role of No. 6 and No. 7 batters in white-ball cricket. You get minimum balls to get maximum runs. Richa’s strike made the difference for India’s campaign in this World Cup,” he said. Legendary Jhulan recalled the days when she first saw Richa. “It was 2013 when Bengal cricket was not doing well. So I requested CAB officials to start a talent hunt programme. As they gracefully agreed, I had the opportunity to move to the districts and that was how I first saw Richa,” Goswami, who later fought to get young Richa into the senior state side, stated.
