India’s wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh gave credit to skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana for helping her turn a corner. Before the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup, Ghosh scored only 140 runs from 10 innings at an average of 23.33 without registering a single half-century.

However, she smashed a blistering cameo of 17-ball 34 in the opening clash against Pakistan at Edgbaston, Birmingham, to help India post a par score of 170 runs on the board.

Ghosh also scored a fine fifty in the warm-up match against England ahead of the T20I showpiece.

The hard-hitting batter revealed that the trio of Kaur, Mandhana, and head coach Amol Muzumdar told her to focus on her natural game.

“Yes, that’s true. But at that time, I just focused on my game because I knew I wasn’t getting enough time in the middle. Instead of worrying about that, I concentrated on what I could control. I worked harder in practice, focused on my drills, and kept improving my game,” Richa told the reporters.

“I told myself that it was okay if I wasn’t getting opportunities because I was batting well and felt in good touch, even though the runs weren’t coming. These things happen in cricket. I also spoke to Harry and some of the seniors, including Smriti and the coach, about what I should do. They all told me not to worry, to keep playing my natural game and stay focused.

“That advice really helped me. It allowed me to stay positive, trust the process, and continue working hard without putting too much pressure on myself,” Richa added.

India got off to a winning start in the World Cup, registering a 64-run win against arch-rivals Pakistan. 

Harmanpreet Kaur’s team will next take on the Netherlands on Wednesday.