India opener Pratika Rawal is set to miss India’s upcoming 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup semi-final against Australia after sustaining injuries to her right ankle and knee during the washed-out league stage match against Bangladesh at the D.Y. Patil Stadium on Sunday.
In the 21st over of Bangladesh’s innings, Pratika badly twisted her ankle while attempting to stop a boundary at cow corner, where her right foot initially got stuck in the surface. Though a stretcher was called for, she managed to hobble off the field in immense pain with assistance from the physio and her team-mates.
In Pratika’s absence, seam-bowling all-rounder Amanjot Kaur was promoted to open the batting alongside vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, as India made 57/0 before rain forced the hosts and Bangladesh to split points.
IANS understands that following the abandonment of the match, Pratika, the tournament’s second-highest run-getter with 308 runs in six innings, was taken to a hospital for scans. “An official word is yet to come, but from the initial looks, it doesn’t look like she will play the semis.
With the kind of injury she had yesterday, it’s extremely difficult to get ready for such a crucial game in three days. It won’t be a surprise if she’s even ruled out of the rest of the World Cup,” said sources aware of the development to IANS on Monday.
Should Pratika be ruled out of the World Cup, the Indian team management is expected to seek an injury replacement and get it approved from the ICC Technical Committee ahead of the high-stakes clash against reigning champions Australia.
In terms of reserves, Tejal Hasabnis is the only specialist batter, while Shafali Verma, who is not in that list, can also be an outside option. Pratika’s injury comes as a major blow to India’s quest to win their first trophy on home soil.
Her consistent opening partnership with Smriti has been a cornerstone of India’s batting success throughout the tournament and Pratika’s absence leaves a void in India’s top-order ahead of facing a high-quality opposition like Australia, who are sweating on the availability of skipper Alyssa Healy due to a left calf strain ruling her out of the last two league games.