Pratika Rawal Ruled Out of World Cup Semi-Final Against Australia; Opening Headache for India

In a major setback for India ahead of their Women’s ODI World Cup semi-final against Australia, star opener Pratika Rawal has been ruled out due to an ankle injury. Rawal, the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer, sustained the injury during India’s final league-stage clash against Bangladesh on Sunday in Navi Mumbai.

The incident occurred in the 21st over of Bangladesh’s innings when Sharmin Akter pulled a delivery from Deepti Sharma towards deep midwicket. While chasing the ball, Rawal’s foot appeared to get caught in the turf, causing her ankle to twist as she fell. Though a stretcher was brought onto the field, she managed to hobble off with assistance from the team physio. She did not bat later, as Amanjot Kaur opened with Smriti Mandhana before rain curtailed the game.

Rawal’s absence is a huge blow for India, given her consistent form throughout the tournament. The 25-year-old has amassed 308 runs in six innings, averaging 51.33 with a strike rate of 77.77. Her standout performances include a fluent 75 against Australia in Visakhapatnam and a match-winning 122 against New Zealand in Navi Mumbai — an innings during which she also became the joint-fastest player to reach 1000 ODI runs in women’s cricket.

Her opening partnership with Mandhana has been a cornerstone of India’s success, featuring in two of the tournament’s top five highest stands — 212 against New Zealand and 155 against Australia.

With Rawal unavailable, India will need to reshuffle their top order. Amanjot Kaur, who opened in the previous game, remains a likely option alongside Mandhana. Harleen Deol and Uma Chetry are other candidates; Chetry notably opened during the World Cup warm-up against New Zealand and has previous experience in the role from T20Is. Jemimah Rodrigues, too, has opened in ODIs before and could be considered.

As of now, there is no official update on whether Rawal will be fit for the final, should India qualify. The team management has also not confirmed if a replacement will be called up, though Tejal Hasabnis, the only reserve batter in the squad, remains on standby.

India will face Australia in the semi-final on October 30 in Navi Mumbai, hoping to overcome the loss of one of their most reliable batters in pursuit of a place in the World Cup final.