The injury took place in the 21st over of Bangladesh’s innings when Sharmin Akter swept Deepti Sharma across the line. Rawal, sprinting left from deep midwicket, appeared to get her foot stuck in the turf, causing her ankle to twist as she fell awkwardly
Photo: IANS
In a major setback for India, opener Pratika Rawal has been ruled out of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup semi-final against Australia following an ankle injury sustained during India’s final league-stage match against Bangladesh in Navi Mumbai. Rawal, the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer, could also miss the final if India advance.
The injury took place in the 21st over of Bangladesh’s innings when Sharmin Akter swept Deepti Sharma across the line. Rawal, sprinting left from deep midwicket, appeared to get her foot stuck in the turf, causing her ankle to twist as she fell awkwardly. The ball raced to the boundary as Rawal grimaced in pain, clutching her ankle. Although a stretcher was brought out, she opted to walk off with the physio’s help, limping heavily.
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She did not return to bat, with Amanjot Kaur opening alongside Smriti Mandhana in India’s brief chase. Amanjot remained unbeaten on 15 before rain forced an early end to the match.
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Rawal, 25, has been one of India’s standout performers in the tournament, amassing 308 runs in six innings at an average of 51.33 and a strike rate of 77.77. Her highlights include a fluent 75 against Australia in Visakhapatnam and a match-winning 122 against New Zealand in Navi Mumbai, an innings in which she became the joint-fastest player to reach 1000 runs in women’s ODIs.
Among Indian batters, only Mandhana has outscored her in this World Cup. Rawal has also featured in two of the top five batting partnerships of the tournament, a 212-run stand against New Zealand and a 155-run partnership against Australia, both alongside Mandhana.
With Rawal sidelined, Amanjot is a likely choice to open the innings again in the semi-final. Harleen Deol is another option while wicketkeeper-batter Uma Chetry, who opened in a World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand and has experience at the top in T20Is, could also be considered.
Jemimah Rodrigues, who has previously opened in ODIs, remains another possibility.
There is no official update yet on whether Rawal will be fit for the final, should India qualify, or if a replacement will be called up. Tejal Hasabnis, the only batter among the reserves, is available as backup.
India will face Australia in the semi-final on October 30 in Navi Mumbai.
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