The Indian women's cricket team has suffered a major blow ahead of the ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025 semi-finals. The team's reliable opener, Pratika Rawal, has been ruled out of the tournament due to a severe ankle and heel injury.
SPORTS NEWS: Shafali Verma has been included in the Indian women's cricket team as a replacement for the injured Pratika Rawal. Pratika Rawal sustained an injury during the match against Bangladesh and has been ruled out of the ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025 due to an ankle and heel injury. The 21-year-old Shafali Verma has been given a spot in the team as Pratika Rawal's replacement player.
The Indian team is now set to face defending champions Australia in the semi-finals, and Shafali's inclusion has boosted the team's morale. It is noteworthy that Shafali was not initially part of the main or reserve squad, but has now been included in the team as an opportunity.
Pratika Rawal's Injury Changes the Equation
Pratika Rawal, who has been one of India's most consistent batters throughout the tournament, was injured in the match against Bangladesh. In the 21st over of Bangladesh's innings, she attempted to stop a boundary at deep mid-wicket, during which her heel twisted. Rawal, groaning in pain, was taken off the field by the support staff. Subsequent scans revealed a severe ankle and heel injury, ruling her out of further play.
The 25-year-old Rawal had an excellent performance in World Cup 2025, scoring 308 runs in six innings, including a century against New Zealand. These runs, scored at an average of 51.33, demonstrate her form and consistency. Her absence is certainly a major blow to India's top order, as she was one of the team's consistent run-scorers.
Shafali Verma's Strong Comeback
The 21-year-old Shafali Verma, selected as Pratika Rawal's replacement, is considered one of Indian cricket's most aggressive young batters. Although she did not secure a spot in the main or reserve squad for the World Cup, the team management has now placed its trust in her experience and explosive style. Shafali has performed brilliantly in domestic cricket and franchise leagues (WPL) in recent years. For Haryana, she scored 527 runs in the ODI format at an average of 75.28, while smashing 304 runs for Delhi Capitals in WPL 2025.
Even though she hasn't played an ODI for India since October 2024, she has proven her fitness and rhythm by playing excellent innings for India A against New Zealand A and Australia A. Her return is expected to provide the Indian team with the necessary aggression and pace in the top order. The team management believes that Shafali's strike rate in the initial powerplay can put opposing teams under pressure.
India will now clash with defending champions Australia in the semi-finals on October 30, 2025. This match will be played at the Dr. D. Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Under the leadership of Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur, the team aims to reach the final.
