Pratika Rawal replacement confirmed before IND-W vs AUS-W Semi-final in ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025

India Women's cricket team suffered a big blow before the Semi-final of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, where the hosts will face the defending champions and seven-time winners Australia Women. The in-form opening batter Pratika Rawal has been ruled out remainder of the tournament, while her replacement has been announced.

Pratika Rawal badly injured during IND-W vs BAN-W encounter

During the last match of the league stage in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, where India Women faced Bangladesh Women at Navi Mumbai last Sunday (October 26), Pratika Rawal was badly injured. She was desperately saving a boundary while running towards the long-on, but during the last moment of that saviour attempt, her right ankle twisted. She left the ground in pain, while the BCCI later confirmed that the opening batter sustained an injury to her knee and ankle.

Pratika Rawal is the second leading run-scorer in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 by scoring 308 runs in six innings with an average of 51.33, while she recorded one century and one half-century.

Shafali Verma replaced Pratika Rawal

Meanwhile, the ICC has confirmed the replacement of Pratika Rawal ahead of the Semi-finals in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025. Shafali Verma, another renowned Indian opener, has been added to the Indian squad as a replacement for Pratika Rawal. Although Verma wasn't in the reserves squad, she has been selected for the knockout stages mainly due to her experience as an opener.

The 21-year-old Shafali Verma has scored 644 runs in 29 Women's ODIs with an average of 23.00, where she has recorded four half-centuries, including her best WODI knock of 71 not out. Last August, Verma toured Australia with India A squad, where she scored 47 runs in the three-match T20 series, 92 runs in the three-match one-day format series, and 87 runs in the only unofficial Test (35 and 52). Verma also served for India A Women for the pre-World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand Women, where she smashed the match-winning 70 off 49 balls with 11 fours and one six.

While Shafali Verma last served for India Women during the Women's T20I series against the hosts England Women last July, she played her last Women's ODI in October 2024 during the three-match home series against New Zealand Women.

India Women will face Australia Women in the second Semi-final on Thursday (October 30) at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.