Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 29 (IANS) India’s wicketkeeper batter Richa Ghosh spoke about her promotion up the order by head coach Amol Muzumdar in the recently concluded T20I against Sri Lanka, and said that her aim, batting at any position, is to “score runs and provide a good finish for the team.”

Smriti Mandhana dazzled with a stunning world record in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday as India beat Sri Lanka by 30 runs in the fourth T20I, leading the five-match series 4-0. Mandhana and Shafali Verma delivered aggressive performances, enabling the hosts to set an imposing total of 221 for 2 in 20 overs at the Greenfield International Stadium after they were asked to bat first.

The duo set a record 162-run partnership, the highest for any wicket in Women’s T20Is for India. Smriti scored 80 off 48 balls, while Shafali Verma hit 79 off 46. Mandhana also overtook Mithali Raj as the fastest batter to reach 10,000 international runs in terms of innings. In the pursuit of 222, Sri Lanka fought hard but were restricted to 191 for 6, despite a solid fifty from captain Chamari Athapaththu.

Speaking after the match during the press conference, Richa, when asked about the team’s fielding, said, “We’re working on the fielding. If you see, we stopped the ball well and took good catches today. Everyone has a bad day, and catches are dropped. We’ve worked hard behind the fielding.”

“Whenever I get a chance, and whenever I am sent up, my motto is to score runs and provide a good finish for the team. The wicket was good for batting, and the ball was coming to the bat nicely. While the ball was holding up a little on slower deliveries, it was coming nicely. Shot selection was important, and we executed it well enough and got the runs,” she added.

Shedding light on the changes that the World Cup victory has brought in the cricketers’ lives, she said, “Obviously, life has transformed since the World Cup victory. Everyone is joyful, and whenever we go out, we are greeted warmly by the public. More people now recognise the players’ names, such as Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, and Shafali Verma. This increased recognition is a wonderful development following the World Cup win. After a World Cup win, you take the confidence into the next series, and that is quite visible in everyone in the team.”

–IANS

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