Pratika Rawal

Summary

Pratika Rawal is an Indian international cricketer known for her right-handed opening batting and rapid rise in women's cricket. Born on September 1, 2000, in Delhi, she initially pursued multiple sports before establishing herself in cricket. She represented Delhi in domestic cricket from 2021 and later moved to Railways. Her sporting background also includes basketball, in which she won a gold medal at the School National Games before focusing fully on cricket.

Rawal made her India ODI debut against the West Indies on December 22, 2024, becoming India's 150th women's ODI cricketer. She made an immediate impression at the top of the order, scoring 40 on debut and sharing a 110-run opening partnership with Smriti Mandhana. In only her sixth ODI, she produced a career-defining 154 against Ireland, establishing herself as one of India's most promising young batters.

Her breakthrough continued during the 2025 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, where Rawal became an important member of India's successful campaign. She scored 308 runs in six innings at an average of 51.33, including a match-winning 122 against New Zealand. She was among the tournament's leading run-scorers, but her campaign ended prematurely after she suffered a knee and ankle injury while fielding against Bangladesh. India subsequently replaced her with Shafali Verma for the knockout stages.

Rawal's international start has been particularly notable for the speed with which she accumulated runs. She became the fastest Indian woman to 500 ODI runs in eight innings and reached 1,000 ODI runs in 23 innings, making her one of the fastest players to reach the milestone in women's ODI cricket. Her consistency at the top of India's batting order has established her as an important player for the national team.

After recovering from her World Cup injury through rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, Rawal returned to India's ODI squad for the 2026 series against Australia. She subsequently expanded her international career into Test cricket, making her Test debut against Australia in March 2026. She has also represented Warwickshire Bears Women in England's domestic One Day Cup during the 2026 season, giving her experience in overseas domestic cricket.

Rawal has continued to develop across formats in 2026. She made her T20I debut for India against Thailand in August 2026, scoring 22 from 18 deliveries. Her growing involvement across ODI, Test and T20I cricket reflects her transition from a promising domestic opener into an increasingly versatile international batter.

Overall, Pratika Rawal is a Delhi-born Indian cricketer who has rapidly emerged as one of the country's leading young opening batters. Her combination of technically sound batting, attacking strokeplay and experience across multiple sports has contributed to her rapid rise. Her performances during India's 2025 World Cup-winning campaign, record-breaking ODI milestones and progression into Test and T20I cricket have established her as an important figure in the next generation of Indian women's cricket.

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