The Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction was a landmark day in the history of women’s cricket as it changed the lives of many women cricketers. There was plenty of hype ahead of the much-awaited event which was held in Mumbai and it did not disappoint. Among the many Indian women cricketers who earned big bucks was Richa Ghosh – who emerged as the most expensive Indian wicketkeeper batter at the event. Ghosh, who has been in fine form for the Women in Blue lately, was roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for Rs 1.9 cr.
Ahead of the WPL auction, in a video, Ghosh expressed her desire to buy a flat for her parents from the money she gets from the auction.
“All my parents wanted me to achieve was to play for India. I want to captain my team and win a major trophy for India. I want to buy a flat in Kolkata. I want my mother and father to settle down there. I want them to enjoy their life now. They have struggled a lot in their life, and they have worked hard a lot for me. Even now, my father does umpiring. After the auction, I hope he doesn’t have to work so hard,” Richa said.
After her daughter bagged a big deal with RCB, Richa’s father Manabendra Ghosh was on Cloud 9 and said there were too many emotions in his mind.
“I can’t describe my feelings with words. There’s too many emotions inside my mind right now. That kid has suffered a lot, right from a very young age and I somehow feel responsible for it also,” Manabendra Ghosh told The Indian Express.
He went on to recall how he would travel from Siliguri to Kolkata and look for cheaper hotels so that his daughter could train.
“Money was an issue. I didn’t know anyone in Kolkata, so I used to look for cheaper hotels where we would stay. Our daily routine was to leave the hotel at 7 am and come back in the evening. The ground was our home in Kolkata. We will not leave Siliguri, but now with the money, I would get her a flat in Kolkata so that she could stay there and practice,” he added.Richa is currently in South Africa – where she is a part of Indian Women’s World Cup team. In the opening match against arch-rivals Pakistan, Richa played a crucial role and scored unbeaten 31 runs rom 20 balls.
