ICC Women’s World Cup 2025: Shafali Verma replaces Pratika Rawal in Indian squad

India called back out-of-favour opener Shafali Verma as a replacement for Pratika Rawal at the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup on Monday.

Verma, who last played an ODI a year ago in October 2024, is expected to slot right back into the opening spot she vacated when India takes on Australia in the all important semi-final on Thursday.

This development comes after Rawal twisted her ankle while fielding during India’s last league stage match against Bangladesh on Sunday. She didn’t come out to bat in the second innings in a match eventually abandoned due to incessant rains.

“The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 has approved Shafali Verma as a replacement for Pratika Rawal in the India squad,” the International Cricket Council confirmed in a statement.

Rawal was the second highest run scorer behind Smriti Mandhana at the ongoing 2025 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, having amassed 308 runs in six innings at an impressive average of 51.33. She had even smashed a century against New Zealand in what was a virtual quarter-final clash for India.

Having made her ODI debut less than a year ago in December 2024, Rawal had quickly grown into a mainstay with the Indian batting lineup.

She has piled up 1110 runs with an average of 50.45 and strike-rate of 82.83 in just 23 innings since. It was this remarkable consistency at the top of the order from Rawal which had ousted Verma from the Indian ODI setup in the first place.

Verma, who led India to the inaugural ICC Women’s U19 World Cup title in 2023, has scored 644 runs in 29 ODIs she has played at a dismal average of 23.

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