Rawal missed the final due to an injury, but before leaving the tournament, she had done enough damage to the opponent’s armour

When India won the Women’s ODI World Cup, players such as Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, and Shafali Verma were some of the players who grabbed the majority of headlines because of their performances. However, there was one player who deserved no less, but in our book of thoughts, not much was written or spoken about her, given that she got injured in the middle of the tournament and had to sit in the dugout. That player was Pratika Rawal.

As the year comes to an end, it is crucial to recall Rawal’s performance in every match until she was injured, because a player like Rawal deserves a special tribute.

37 against Sri Lanka

(Credit- News18)

India started off its World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka with a victory, thanks to a collective bowling and batting effort. One of the crucial scorers from the batting line-up was Pratika Rawal, who scored 37 runs in 59 balls, including three boundaries and one six, giving India a decent start as an opener.

31 against PAK

Runs such as 30 or 50 are always important from an opener because, more than runs, it is the morale of the team that goes down if an opener gives away his or her wicket early. In the second game of the tournament, Rawal kept her momentum going, scoring 31 runs against PAK in 37 balls.

37 against South Africa

India lost the third game against South Africa, but Rawal did not lose her form. Again, as an opener, Rawal played a steady innings of 37 in 56 balls. In all three matches, Rawal’s strike rate may not have been impressive, but she stood her ground and played one ball at a time to ensure India got a concrete start without falling prey to the new ball.

75 against Australia

(Credit- The Patriot)

Rawal went big against Australia, even though India did not win the game. In what was India’s second loss of the tournament, Rawal scored 75 runs in 96 balls, including 10 fours and one six at a strike rate of 78.13.

6 against England

Finally, in the fifth match of the tournament, Rawal faltered at the hands of England, losing her wicket after scoring only six runs. Unfortunately, this was Rawal’s last batting in the tournament, after which she was injured in the game against Bangladesh and could not return to the team.

Medal for Rawal

(Credit- NDTV)

Given that Rawal was replaced by Shafali Verma, initially, she was not awarded at the ceremony due to ICC regulations. However, Jay Shah, the chairman of the ICC, was quick to intervene, given that Rawal’s contribution was out in the open and she deserved every bit of recognition for her efforts.

As the year comes to an end, Rawal hopes to be fit for the India vs. Sri Lanka series in December, which will help her secure a spot in the women’s squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.