Star Opener Pratika Rawal Suffers Knee & Ankle Injury in Women’s World Cup Clash vs Bangladesh

India’s World Cup preparations were dealt a severe blow when star opening batter Pratika Rawal was forced to leave the field in the final, non-consequential group match against Bangladesh in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, 26 October. The 2025 Cricket World Cup hosts now face an anxious wait for an update on her condition ahead of their semi-final blockbuster against defending champions Australia on Thursday.

The Incident on a Damp Field

The sad moment happened off the very last delivery of Bangladesh’s 21st over, not too long after play resumed following a lengthy two-and-a-half-hour rain delay. Fielding deep near the midwicket boundary, Rawal, as she tried to quickly turn back after overrunning a shot, seemed to have her right foot catch in the damp outfield surface. She twisted her ankle awkwardly and fell, clearly in a lot of pain.

The playing conditions were certainly a factor. The game at the DY Patil Stadium had already started two hours late because of heavy unseasonal rain. Although the center pitch was covered, parts of the outfield, including the area where Rawal fell, were left exposed during the downpour and remained somewhat saturated.

Major Concerns Ahead of Semi-Final

Rawal, who has had a sterling first year in international cricket, could not bat any further and was taken off the field by support staff. She did not come out to bat again for the rest of the Bangladesh innings, and was replaced as an opener by Amanjot Kaur during India’s DLS adjusted chase of 126 runs in 27 overs.

Her potential absence is a big blow to the Indian side. Rawal recently scored a superb maiden World Cup century against New Zealand at the same venue and, in the process, equaled the record for the joint-fastest player to reach 1000 runs in Women’s ODIs.

The injury only compounds India’s selection worries. Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh, who suffered a finger injury in the New Zealand match, was rested for the Bangladesh fixture, leading to a debut for back-up ‘keeper Uma Chetry. While India’s bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi had provided a cryptic “she’s fine” update on Ghosh a day ago, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur said little more than Ghosh was “resting” at the toss, the status of both key players is now a major pre-semifinal concern. There is no specialist reserve opener in India’s official 15-member World Cup squad – the selectors had named only batter Tejal Hasabnis among the initial five reserves. Any replacement would need to be sanctioned by the ICC Event Technical Committee, which would be sought only if Rawal is officially ruled out of the rest of the tournament. 

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