Women’s World Cup: Nadine de Klerk one-ups Richa Ghosh with miracle 84-run knock

Richa Ghosh had scored 94 runs from 77 balls in the first innings while batting at number eight. Nadine de Klerk played at the same position and scored 84 from 54 balls.

It was a battle of number eights in the India vs South Africa match. As has been the case in the ongoing 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, the surface was a tricky one. Spinners made merry, and pacers got early help. India were 102/6, while South Africa were 142/6. Yet both passed the 250-run mark in a match that ended with 7 balls to spare.

Richa Ghosh’s innings of a lifetime

Richa Ghosh played the best knock of her life in Visakhapatnam. The 22-year-old hasn’t really proven herself in 50-over cricket after stellar success in the shortest format. However, Richa was in great touch coming into the India vs South Africa match. Her 35-run cameo had helped the hosts claim an 88-run victory over Pakistan.

But in that game, Richa had come out in the 45th over to bat. Her job was to see the ball and hit the ball. That wasn’t going to be the case against South Africa. India were 102/6 with 24 overs still left. Building an innings wasn’t something Richa had done successfully before. Things looked grim.

You’d expect Richa to dash her way, but the complete opposite happened. Known for her ultra-attacking style, the wicketkeeper curbed her instinct. Batting alongside Amanjot Kaur, she knew a wicket here could have serious repercussions. She held back as much as she could.

Tried to rotate strike. And when the ball came in her zone, Richa still went for it. But this measured approach wasn’t something Richa had shown before. By the 40th over, India was 153/7, with Amanjot getting out and Sneh Rana coming in. From this moment, Richa let loose.

In the next 10 overs, India scored 98 runs. 58 of these came from Richa’s bat. Rana’s 33 came in handy as well. The wicketkeeper was mighty close to recording her maiden international hundred for India, but fell 6 short. Her 94-run knock came in just 77 balls. All the other batters, excluding extras, combined scored just 132 runs from 222 balls. It was a proper carry job from Richa.

Nadine de Klerk’s Vizag wizardry

Kranti Gaud and Amanjot Kaur gave India a flying start with the new ball. The former dismissed the in-form and dangerous Tazmin Brits on a duck, while the latter got Sune Luus’ scalp. By the end of the 20th over, three more South African wickets had fallen. One to each Indian spinner, Rana, Deepti Sharma, and Sree Charani.

Laura Wolvaardt and Chloe Tryon brought the Proteas back into the game with a 61-run stand. Gaud returned to send the Proteas skipper packing. But life didn’t get easy for India even after that. Nadine de Klerk hit the ground running, and together they brought the figures to 52 runs needed in 5 overs.

From here, it could go either way. Nadine took Rana on, but the spinner struck back by claiming Tryon’s wicket, who was struggling with a left calf injury. It was all on Nadine now. She brought up her fifty in just 40 balls by depositing Gaud for a six over mid-wicket, bringing South Africa closer to a victory.

She had already surpassed her previous highest ODI score of 60, and now South Africa needed just 24 runs from 21 balls. The match was on Nadine’s match, and she didn’t slip. She struck 2 fours in the 48th over and followed that with 2 sixes in the 49th over to seal a memorable win for South Africa.