Team India suffered a huge setback as opener Pratika Rawal was ruled out of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 with a severe ankle injury before the semifinal against Australia. The ICC approved Shafali Verma as her replacement in the squad.
Team India has suffered a major blow as opener Pratika Rawal has been officially ruled out of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 ahead of the semifinal clash against the defending champions, Australia, at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday, October 30.
Pratika Rawal suffered a severe ankle twist while fielding during Bangladesh’s innings. The Indian opener markedly slipped and fell on the field, which appeared to be soggy due to persistent rain in Navi Mumbai. She received immediate medical attention before being escorted off the field. She was sidelined from opening the innings with Smriti Mandhana and Amanjot Kaur opening in her absence against Bangladesh.
As per the official statement by the BCCI Women, Pratika Rawal suffered an injury to her knee and ankle, and the medical team was closely monitoring her progress. India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was hopeful of Pratika recovering in time before the semifinal clash against Australia.
Shafali Verma Replaces Pratika Rawal in Squad
As per the official statement by the International Cricket Council, India confirmed Pratika Rawal’s unavailable for the remainder of the ongoing Women’s World Cup 2025 due to an ankle injury, and Shafali Varma has been named as her replacement for the semifinal and final (if India qualifies).
“India have named Shafali Verma as her replacement with a big semi-final matchup scheduled against defending champions Australia on Thursday, 30 October,” ICC wrote in a statement.
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Pratika Rawal’s absence from the remainder of the marquee event is indeed a big blow for the Women in Blue, as she was one of the most consistent performers for the hosts at the top. After a moderate outing in the first three matches against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and South Africa, Rawal turned her game around with a 75-run knock against Australia.
In India’s penultimate league match against New Zealand, the 25-year-old played a brilliant innings of 122 off 134 balls and formed a 202-run opening partnership with Smriti Mandhana, laying the foundation for a crucial 53-run victory over the White-Ferns. Pratika Rawal is currently the second leading run-getter of the tournament with 308 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 51.33 in six innings.
Shafali Varma Gets India Recall
With the selectors zeroing in on Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana as the openers for the Women’s World Cup 2025, Shafali Varma missed out on selection to the 15-member squad. Shafali has not played for Team India since October last year due to inconsistent performances, and with Pratika Rawal consistently performing well at the top, the 21-year-old has slipped down the pecking order.
However, Shafali showed glimpses of her return to form in the India A ODI series against Australia A in August this year. The young opener played in the Women’s World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, where he scored 70 off 49 balls.
Shafali Varma was not included in the reserves for the Women’s World Cup 2025, but India needed a direct replacement, and Shafali met the eligibility criteria. The young opener is likely to feature in the semifinal match against Australia and will hope to make an immediate impact on her international return.