Pratika Rawal

In the increasingly competitive world of Indian women's cricket, Pratika Rawal has emerged as a compelling all-format prospect, calm under pressure, sharp in decision-making, and lethal when set. A right-handed opening batter and part-time off-break bowler, she brings with her a rare blend of consistency and explosiveness and has made an immediate mark on the international stage. While others chase the spotlight, Rawal earns hers through execution and temperament, match after match.

Her story begins in Delhi, where cricket wasn’t just a hobby—it was a discipline. Trained under coach Sharvan Kumar at the Rohtak Road Gymkhana Cricket Academy, Rawal took her first steps into professional cricket at age 10. Balancing sports and studies with remarkable grace, she scored over 92% in her CBSE 12th board exams, all while being a national-level basketball player. Her early cricketing acumen was sharpened further under the guidance of Dipti Dhyani and Delhi’s women’s team coach Dishant Yagnik—mentors who taught her to trust technique over theatrics.

The domestic circuit was where she earned her stripes. Pratika debuted for Delhi in the 2021–22 season and made headlines with a blistering unbeaten 161 off 155 balls against Assam in the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy. That year, she scored 247 runs in seven matches at an average of 49.40—instantly making herself one to watch. In the 2023–24 season, her growth was undeniable: 411 runs in just eight matches, averaging 68.50 with two centuries, including a clinical 141. 

Railways, the powerhouse of Indian domestic women’s cricket, came calling in 2024—a clear endorsement of her rising stature. The transition gave her a chance to rub shoulders with some of the best in the country and refine her game further. She began playing with more freedom, rotating strikes fluently, and timing her acceleration perfectly. Her performances were no longer just promising—they were becoming inevitable.

International debut wasn’t far behind. On December 22, 2024, she made her ODI bow against the West Indies, scoring a composed 40 and stitching a 110-run opening stand with Smriti Mandhana. 

What stands out most about Rawal is her clarity. She doesn’t try to be flamboyant, nor does she rely on brute force. She reads the field, picks her bowlers, and builds her innings with surgical precision. Much like Mandhana in her early days, Rawal seems to know her strengths and sticks to them—driving through the covers with elegance, rotating the strike with soft hands, and choosing the right moments to counter-attack.

(As of May 2025)