Pratika Rawal Added to India’s ODI Squad for Australia Tour After Injury Layoff

Pratika Rawal Added to India’s ODI Squad for Australia Tour After Injury Layoff

India batter Pratika Rawal has been added as the 16th member of the Indian women’s squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series in Australia. The series will be played between the ongoing T20I leg and the one-off Test in the multi-format, points-based tour. India currently lead the T20I series 1-0.

Rawal, who has been out of action since October 26 last year, suffered knee and ankle injuries while fielding during an ODI World Cup match against Bangladesh in Navi Mumbai. She had earlier been named in India’s Test squad for the tour but now appears set to make her international return sooner in the ODI leg.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that Rawal had “completed her rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence and has fully recovered from her ankle injury.”

Rawal made her ODI debut in December 2024, the only international format she has featured in so far, and enjoyed immediate success. In 23 innings, she has amassed 1,110 runs at an impressive average of 50.45 and a strike rate of 82.83. Batting at the top of the order, she has registered two centuries and seven half-centuries.

She was also in fine form at the ODI World Cup before her injury, posting scores of 37, 31, 37, 6 and 122. Her consistent performances earned her a Grade C central contract, announced by the BCCI on February 9 this year.

Also part of the ODI squad is Shafali Verma, who had returned to ODI cricket as Rawal’s replacement during the World Cup. Shafali made a significant impact in the final against South Africa, claiming the Player-of-the-Match award for her match-winning 78-ball 87 and two wickets.

India Women’s ODI Squad for Australia Tour:

Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Renuka Thakur, N Shree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Kashvee Gautam, Amanjot Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Pratika Rawal.