Navi Mumbai, October 27, 2025 – India's Women's Cricket World Cup campaign has been dealt a significant blow as in-form opener Pratika Rawal has been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to an ankle injury. The unfortunate incident occurred during India's final league stage match against Bangladesh on Sunday at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Shafali Verma has been named as her replacement in the squad.
Rawal sustained the injury while fielding in the 21st over of Bangladesh's innings. While attempting to prevent a boundary near the deep midwicket boundary, she appeared to twist her ankle on the wet outfield. Rawal was immediately assisted off the field by medical staff and did not return to the match. Initial reports suggest that she has injured both her ankle and knee.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that their medical team is closely monitoring Rawal's progress. However, sources indicate that the injury is severe enough to keep her out of the crucial semi-final clash against Australia and any potential final.
Rawal's absence is a major setback for the Indian team. She has been a standout performer in the tournament, amassing 308 runs in six innings at an average of 51.33. This makes her the second-highest run-scorer in the World Cup. Her opening partnership with Smriti Mandhana has been particularly fruitful, providing India with solid starts throughout the competition. Notably, they recorded a 212-run partnership for the first wicket against New Zealand.
In light of Rawal's injury, the Event Technical Committee of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 has approved Shafali Verma as her replacement in the Indian squad. Verma, the former U19 World Cup-winning captain, was initially left out of the main and reserve squads. However, her recent form in domestic and franchise cricket has been impressive. She has scored 527 runs in the one-day format for Haryana, averaging 75.28, and 304 runs for Delhi Capitals in the WPL 2025.
While Verma hasn't played an ODI for India since October 2024, her inclusion is expected to bring a spark of aggression to the top order. Her performances for India A against Australia A and New Zealand A have also underlined her readiness for international cricket.
India faces a tough challenge against defending champion Australia in the semi-final. The match is scheduled for Thursday at the same venue in Navi Mumbai. With Rawal's absence, the team management might also consider Amanjot Kaur or Harleen Deol to open alongside Mandhana.
