Pratika Rawal’s Injury Forces Her Out of World Cup Semi-Final Clash with Australia

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Pratika Rawal’s Injury Forces Her Out of World Cup Semi-Final Clash with Australia

Pratika Rawal’s recent ankle injury has compelled her withdrawal from the World Cup semi-final against Australia. This unfortunate event has opened the door for Shafali Verma, who has received a late call-up to replace Rawal on October 30, 2024.

Shafali Verma: A Strong Replacement

Shafali Verma, 21, was originally not included in India’s Women’s World Cup squad. The selectors opted for consistency, favoring Rawal as Smriti Mandhana’s opening partner. However, Shafali’s impressive domestic performances have warranted her selection as a replacement.

Shafali has scored 52 against Australia A and 70 against New Zealand A recently.
In December 2024, she achieved 527 runs in domestic one-dayers for Haryana, averaging 75.28.
Her striking performance included a high score of 197 against Bengal.
During the WPL 2025, she became the fourth-highest run-getter, scoring 304 runs with a strike rate of 152.76.

Impact of Rawal’s Injury

Rawal’s contributions were crucial for India during the tournament. She was the second-highest run-scorer, boasting an average of 51.33. Her performances included a pivotal 122 against New Zealand and 75 against Australia.

The injury occurred while fielding in the match against Bangladesh, where Rawal twisted her ankle in the 21st over of the opposition’s innings. This incident prevented her from batting later in the match, which ended without a result.

Possible Opening Partnerships

If Shafali is not included in the playing XI, India may look to Harleen Deol or Amanjot Kaur as opening options against Australia. Uma Chetry and Jemimah Rodrigues also remain potential candidates for the opening slot.

Approval of Selection

An ICC release confirmed that Shafali’s inclusion was sanctioned by the Event Technical Committee. This committee consists of notable figures such as Wasim Khan and Mel Jones, ensuring a professional selection process.

As India heads into the semi-final, the team must adapt to Rawal’s absence. The performance of Shafali and the opening partnership will be critical to India’s success against Australia.