The Indian women’s team won their maiden World Cup title by defeating South Africa in the final at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. It was a historic moment, and the celebrations turned even more special with the presence of the injured opener, Pratika Rawal.
Notably, Pratika Rawal was the designated opener for the Indian team, alongside Smriti Mandhana. Along with Mandhana, she gave the team some brilliant starts throughout the tournament. Rawal, with her proper technique and steady batting, was consistent throughout the league stage. In the World Cup 2025, Rawal batted in six innings and scored 308 runs in them at an average of 51.33.
All was going well for the young right-handed batter until the final league stage game against Bangladesh. In a rain-affected affair, Rawal suffered a freakish injury to her ankle and was ruled out of the tournament.
Pratika’s replacement turned out to be the hero of the final
The Indian team had to call in Shafali Verma on an urgent basis and was asked to fill the shoes of Pratika Rawal. She turned out to be the trump card for India as she scored 87 runs in the final and then picked up a couple of important wickets. India posted 298 runs and then managed to restrict the opposition to 246 and win the World Cup.
{{/usCountry}}The Indian team had to call in Shafali Verma on an urgent basis and was asked to fill the shoes of Pratika Rawal. She turned out to be the trump card for India as she scored 87 runs in the final and then picked up a couple of important wickets. India posted 298 runs and then managed to restrict the opposition to 246 and win the World Cup.
{{/usCountry}}As the team burst out in celebration, neither the team forgot Rawal, nor did the batter forget her team. She was seen with the group, joining in the celebration on crutches. Later, she was seen with the Indian tricolor around her on a wheelchair, enjoying the moment and taking it all in.
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The scenes were emotional, feelings overflowing. Even though Rawal did not play the final, her presence and contribution were no less. The tournament will be remembered for her brilliant batting and how she gave some great starts with Smriti Mandhana.
Notably, India defeated the defending champions, Australia in the semi-final. But before that they had a stop start kind of a campaign in the league stage. Harmanpreet Kaur and her girls had to defeat New Zealand in a must-win affair to book the berth to the semis. But in the knockout games, the team looked like a different unit. They upped their game and beat the best teams in the tournament to win the title.