India women’s team head coach Amol Muzumdar has backed Richa Ghosh to come good at the right time, saying her half-century in the warm-up game against England could be the confidence boost the wicketkeeper-batter needed ahead of the T20 World Cup. Richa struck a fluent 36-ball 68 in the practice match, ending a lean patch that had stretched since mid-April. She had gone without a fifty-plus score for a few months, and that dip in form also reflected in India’s series defeats against South Africa and England.

For a player known for her clean hitting and fearless approach, the innings against England came as a timely reminder of her value in the middle order. Amol Muzumdar made it clear that there was no panic in the camp despite Richa’s recent struggles. He described her as a world-class cricketer and said the team had always believed one good knock could bring her rhythm back quickly.

“I will not deny this, that she had a little bit of a lean phase. But she is a world-class player. We always had this talk around in the changing room that somebody as good and as talented as Richa, it will require a couple of hits out of the ground and it will all come back,” Amol Muzumdar said.

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India now turns its attention to a high-pressure opener against Pakistan, and Richa’s role could be crucial if the top order fails to fire. She has a strong record against Pakistan as well, scoring 57 runs in three matches at a strike rate of 167.64, which underlines her ability to accelerate when needed.

“So, I guess it happened in the last game. And I am glad that we are getting into the World Cup with Richa being in. She spent quality game time in the previous game,” Amol Muzumdar added.

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He also stressed Richa’s importance at No. 5 and No. 6, where she gives India both finishing power and flexibility depending on the match situation. With Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues and Bharti Fulmali also expected to play key roles, India will rely heavily on their middle order against Pakistan’s disciplined bowling attack, led by left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu.