Jemimah Rodrigues’ injury has opened the door for Pratika Rawal, but it has also sparked a selection debate. Rawal has been named as Jemimah’s replacement for India’s Women’s Asia Cup and Asian Games squads, earning her maiden T20I call-up.
The selection makes sense when viewed through Rawal’s ODI career. She has quickly established herself as an important part of India’s 50-over side and played a key role in the 2025 World Cup triumph. But the question is whether she has done enough in T20 cricket to replace a player of Jemimah’s profile.
Jemimah’s value at No. 3 lies in her ability to rotate strike, handle spin and accelerate after the powerplay. Rawal, meanwhile, has largely been an opener. Moving into the middle order would therefore require her to adapt to a different role.
India appear to be backing that adaptability rather than picking Rawal on the strength of her T20 record.
WHAT HAS PRATIKA DONE IN T20S?
Rawal has played 24 T20s, scoring 574 runs at an average of 24.96 and a strike rate of 105.32, with five fifties and a highest score of 76.
The strike rate is the obvious concern. For a potential No. 3, India need a batter who can keep the scoring rate up once the field spreads. Rawal’s numbers do not yet offer much evidence that she can do that consistently.
Her lack of recent T20 cricket adds to the uncertainty. She last played the format in 2024 before injury disrupted her progress, with most of her cricket since then coming in ODIs.
That does not rule her out. Rawal has already shown in ODI cricket that she can handle international bowling and pressure. But T20 cricket demands quicker decisions, more boundary-hitting and the ability to shift gears almost immediately.
That is the challenge Rawal now faces.
WHO ELSE COULD HAVE BEEN PICKED?
The alternatives make the selection more intriguing.
Niki Prasad was in strong T20 form, scoring 331 runs in seven Maharani Trophy matches for Hubli Tigers at an average of 110.33 and a strike rate of 144.54. She also had WPL exposure with Delhi Capitals in 2026.
Vrinda Dinesh also had a strong domestic campaign, scoring 262 runs in seven matches at an average of 42.67 and a strike rate of 192.48.
Anushka Sharma is another option. She impressed for Gujarat Giants in the WPL and had already made her India T20I debut during the tour of South Africa earlier this year, giving the selectors some international evidence to work with.
Yastika Bhatia brings considerably more experience in the format and has previously featured in India’s T20I plans. Her omission from both the Asia Cup and Asian Games squads makes her case particularly interesting.
None of these players was an automatic selection. But all had stronger recent T20 exposure, making Rawal’s call-up look more like a long-term investment than a reward for standout T20 form.
A T20I CALL-UP, BUT AT WHAT COST?
The timing of the decision is particularly interesting because Rawal had already signed for Warwickshire before India called her up.
She was due to join the Bears for the remainder of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, giving her an opportunity to play competitive 50-over cricket in English conditions. After an injury-disrupted period, including missing the Lord’s Test, the stint could have helped her regain rhythm and continue developing her ODI game.
Instead, the India call-up has taken her towards a format that is far less familiar.
Rather than spending the latter part of the English season playing One-Dayers and working on the format in which she has already established herself, Rawal will now enter India’s T20I set-up and potentially take on a new batting position.
That is not to suggest Warwickshire would have been more valuable than representing India. A maiden international call-up is a major opportunity. But from a developmental standpoint, the county stint could have given Rawal useful match practice and further exposure to English conditions.
Instead, India have accelerated her T20 education.
The selectors clearly believe her ODI ability gives her enough of a foundation to make that transition. The Asia Cup and Asian Games will now provide the first real test of that belief.
Rawal’s selection is therefore difficult to judge purely on her T20 numbers. She has not dominated the format, nor does she have the recent exposure of some of the alternatives.
What she does have is a proven international record in ODI cricket and the chance to show that her game can adapt.
For now, the selection is less a reward for what Rawal has already achieved in T20 cricket and more a bet on what she could bring to India in the format.
The Asia Cup and Asian Games will show whether that gamble pays off.
– Ends
