Richa Ghosh vs Shafali Verma: Batting Stats Comparison & Performance Record

Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh are absolute powerhouses for Indian cricket, but they bring that explosive energy in completely different ways. As an opener, Shafali Verma has built her entire reputation on weaponising the powerplay through her fearless approach and rapid scoring.

Richa Ghosh bats in the middle order and ends the innings as a wicketkeeper-batsman with one of the most devastating strike rates in the women’s game. Both have rewritten what is expected of a young Indian batsman. Their figures in T20Is, ODIs and Tests show two very different career paths.

T20 International Cricket

Both have made their biggest records in this format and Richa’s finishing figures stand out immediately. She has played 86 T20Is and scored 1322 runs at an average of 27.5 including 2 half-centuries, 64 not out and a strike rate of 145.4. With 24 not out in 72 innings, her role as a finisher is directly reflected in those figures.

Shefali has played 109 T20Is and has scored 2814 runs at an average of 27.6 including 17 half-centuries, a highest of 81 and a strike rate of 136.1. The averages of both the batsmen are almost the same, with a difference of just 0.1, but their output looks completely different. Shefali has scored more than double the runs of Richa and has scored 17 half-centuries to Richa’s 2.

This gap exists because of role and position. Shefali bats as an opener in the innings and gets the chance to score big. Richa arrives late, often faces fewer balls, and her job is to score quickly, not accumulate. Her strike rate of 145.4 against Shefali’s 136.1 shows this. On raw output, Shefali wins in this format. On pure hitting ability, facing every ball, Richa is ahead.

Player	Years	Mat	Inn	NO	Runs	HS	Avg	BF	SR	100s	50s	4s	6s
Shafali Verma	2019–Present	109	108	6	2814	81	27.6	2067	136.1	0	17	365	79
Richa Ghosh	2020–Present	86	72	24	1322	64*	27.5	909	145.4	0	2	152	46

ODI Cricket

Richa has the better numbers here. In 54 ODIs, she has scored 1208 runs at an average of 28.8, including 7 half-centuries, a highest of 96 and a strike rate of 102.5. Her ability to strike at a rate of over 100 in the 50-over format while batting in the middle order is a rare skill.

Shefali has played 32 ODIs and has scored 745 runs at an average of 24.0, including 5 half-centuries, a highest of 87 and a strike rate of 85.2. Richa averages almost 5 runs more than Shefali and is 17 runs faster per hundred balls. Despite playing fewer years in the format, Richa has scored more ODI half-centuries than Shefali.

Richa Ghosh has clearly won in ODI batting, built on a strike rate that very few middle-order batsmen in women’s cricket can match.

Player	Years	Mat	Inn	NO	Runs	HS	Avg	BF	SR	100s	50s	4s	6s
Shafali Verma	2021–Present	32	32	1	745	87	24.0	874	85.2	0	5	91	9
Richa Ghosh	2021–Present	54	52	10	1208	96	28.8	1179	102.5	0	7	126	38

Also Read: Shafali Verma vs Deepti Sharma: Batting & All-Round Stats Full Comparison

Test Cricket

Shafali’s record is the strongest in the longest format. In 6 Tests, she has scored 607 runs at an average of 55.2, with 1 century, 3 half-centuries and a top score of 205. That double century is the highest individual score by an Indian woman in Test cricket.

Richa has played 3 Tests and has scored 162 runs at an average of 32.4, with 2 half-centuries and a top score of 86. Her average is strong for a middle-order batsman with limited Test exposure but it doesn’t come close to Shafali’s figures. Shafali’s average of 55.2 is Richa’s 32.4, and her century and double-century-linked 205 are in a completely different class.

Red-ball cricket is where Shafali has completely dominated this matchup. You can’t even compare the two here. With an average of 55.2, a record-breaking double century and a triple-double, Shafali is in a class of her own.

Player	Years	Mat	Inn	NO	Runs	HS	Avg	BF	SR	100s	50s	4s	6s
Shafali Verma	2021–Present	6	12	1	607	205	55.2	816	74.4	1	3	82	14
Richa Ghosh	2023–Present	3	5	0	162	86	32.4	269	60.2	0	2	27	0

Who Is the Better?

There is no clear answer to this comparison as both the batsmen serve different purposes for India. Shafali Verma has a stronger overall record in Tests and T20Is, based on batting position and opportunity, with a Test average of 55.2 and 2814 T20I runs less than Richa.

Richa Ghosh has better ODI numbers and a higher T20I strike rate, which is entirely based on finishing innings under pressure with the bat in the lower middle order. Her 145.4 T20I strike rate is one of the best in world cricket, irrespective of the format.

If the question is who has a bigger overall career structure, it is Shafali Verma. If the question is who is the more valuable finisher in white-ball cricket today, it is the case of Richa Ghosh. Different roles, different strengths, both are indispensable for India in their own way.

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