Mamata Banerjee announces stadium in Siliguri to be named after World Cup champion Richa Ghosh
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that a cricket stadium in Siliguri will be named after World Cup-winning cricketer Richa Ghosh, in recognition of her contribution to Indian women’s cricket.
Speaking at a news conference in Siliguri, Banerjee said, “Congratulations to Richa. She has become a world champion at the age of 22. We want to build a cricket stadium in her name. About 27 acres of land in Chandmani Bagan is available. It will be turned into a cricket stadium — Richa Cricket Stadium.”
Richa’s father expressed gratitude to the chief minister and the state government, saying, “A long-cherished dream is about to come true. Not only Richa, it is big for the new generation who are playing and dreaming.”
Richa’s childhood coach, Tapan Kumar Bhawal, had earlier highlighted the need for an international-standard cricket stadium in Siliguri. Currently, the town relies on the Kanchenjunga Stadium — primarily a football venue — for domestic cricket matches.
With this announcement, Richa Ghosh becomes only the second person after Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have a stadium named after them during their lifetime. Several other cricketers, including Sunil Gavaskar, M.S. Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, and Jhulan Goswami, have stands named in their honour.
Last week, Mamata Banerjee had felicitated Richa Ghosh at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. The state government conferred the ‘Banga Bhushan’ award upon her and announced her appointment as a deputy superintendent of police.
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) also honoured Ghosh during the event. Former India captain and CAB president Sourav Ganguly praised her performance, calling her a potential future captain of the Indian women’s cricket team. The CAB presented Richa with a golden bat and ball signed by Ganguly and Jhulan Goswami, while the state government gifted her a gold chain.
Richa Ghosh was one of the standout players in India’s victorious 2025 Women’s World Cup campaign, marking a historic moment for Siliguri and for women’s cricket in India.