Pratika Rawal in Women's World Cup 2025 (Source: AFP)
In what seems to be a big relief for the India Women, star opener Pratika Rawal has been cleared from the ankle injury. She has been added to the India squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia Women.
Pratika will be in action for India after a long time since her injury-inflicted exit from the team during the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. Pratika was replaced by Shafali Varma for India’s knockout games in the tournament after sustaining a nasty ankle injury during the group-stage game against Bangladesh Women.
How Ankle injury ended Pratika’s dream run in World Cup?
In an unfortunate instance, Pratika Rawal’s ankle injury during the group-stage fixture ended her dream run with the bat in the Women’s World Cup 2025 in India. Before the injury mishap, she was the leading run-scorer for India in the tournament.
Nonetheless, Pratika still finished the tournament as the fourth leading run-scorer in the tournament, alongside being the second batter with the most runs for India. The right-handed batter scored 308 runs in six innings of the seven games she played for India. Pratika scored these runs at an amazing average of 51.33, hitting a century and a half-century.
Speaking of her short but illustrious Women’s ODI career, she has scored 1110 runs in 23 innings at a brilliant average of 50.45, hitting two centuries and seven half-centuries. She has been one of the leading run-scorers for India Women since her debut.
BCCI announces Pratika Rawal’s comeback after rehabilitation
The Board of Control for Cricket, on Tuesday, announced Pratika Rawal’s comeback to the Indian team after the completion of her rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
“The Women’s Selection Committee has added Pratika Rawal to India’s squad for the Three-match ODI series against Australia women, which is part of the ongoing multi-format tour of Australia,” said the BCCI in an official media release.
“Ms Pratika Rawal has completed her rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) and has fully recovered from her ankle injury sustained in October during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025,” it added later.
India’s updated squad for ODIs against Australia Women
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Renuka Thakur, Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Uma Chetry (WK), Kashvee Gautam, Amanjot Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, and Pratika Rawal.
Currently, the three-match T20I series between India Women and Australia Women is underway in Australia. The visitors are leading the series by 1-0 with a 21–run win in the series opener at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday, February 15.
Now, both teams will lock horn in the second T20I at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on Thursday, February 19. India will eye winning the penultimate clash of the T20I series to gain an unassailable lead of 2-0 before the third and last T20I at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday, February 21.
