'You will definitely cry after watching this replay' - Reema Malhotra humanizes Richa Ghosh's final ball mishap in Kotla thriller
“The fraction of a second because of which you fell short will not let you sleep for many nights,” said Malhotra on Sports18.
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After a tense showdown between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Women's Premier League 2024 league stage game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi, former Indian cricketer Reema Malhotra reflected on a pivotal moment that may haunt Richa Ghosh for a long, long time. After DC set RCB a challenging 182-run target in Delhi on March 10, Richa's explosive 51 off 29 balls fuelled hopes of victory.
However, fate had a different plan as she fell short of the crease on the last ball, attempting a crucial single with RCB needing two runs for a win. Malhotra, analysing the game, anticipated Richa's disappointment upon witnessing her dismissal on replay. Despite the setback, Malhotra believed it's a valuable lesson for the Bangalore's wicketkeeper-batter.
“If she had run just after hitting the ball, the run would have been completed. You will definitely cry after watching this replay. You cried on the ground as well, but the tears of sorrow teach you something at times. It is a learning for you that whether the ball goes past the fielder or not, you should run with the shot. The fraction of a second because of which you fell short will not let you sleep for many nights,” Malhotra said during the post-match show on Sports18.
RCB's hopes were alive until Richa Ghosh was there: Malhotra
In the final moments of the WPL 2024 encounter which went down to the wire, the stumper-batter faced Jess Jonassen's delivery, and aimed to find the gap in the off-side field for a much-needed couple. However, her stroke landed straight into the hands of Shafali Verma at backward point. Verma's quick reflexes sent the ball to Jonassen, that sealed the batter’s fate in a run-out at the non-striker's end. Despite the disappointment, Malhotra lauded her for her valiant efforts in keeping RCB's hopes alive till the very end.
“We were saying that RCB's hopes were alive until Richa Ghosh was there, and she lived up to the expectations as well. She did everything right. The shot selection was good, played the big shots, and kept the strike with herself when it was required,” she concluded.
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