India ended decades of hurt with their maiden Women's World Cup title late on Sunday night. Harmanpreet Kaur's created history in front of a packed DY Patil Stadium, with Pratika Rawal also playing a major role in the campaign. However, the young Delhi opener was cruelly not considered for a medal.
Pratika Rawal has been a revelation to Team India since her ODI debut. The fastest to 1000 runs in Women's ODIs, Rawal played all league stage matches of the Women's World Cup 2025. The 25-year-old scored 308 runs in 6 innings, averaging 51.33 and finishing as the 4th highest run-getter of the tournament.
ICC rules dictate that players part of the official 15-man squad are only eligible for medals. Pratika, who was injured and replaced, was not a part of the squad for the finals and thus missed out on a medal. Shafali however did get awarded a medal.
It is similar to the incident with Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie. The right-arm pacer was ruled out of Australia's victorious campaign after taking 8 wickets. He was not awarded a medal, with Nathan Bracken his replacement getting one instead. Unlike, Pratika however, Gillespie did not join the celebrations.
Rawal unfortunately suffered a freak ankle injury in the field in the game against Bangladesh. She was subsequently ruled out of the tournament, with Shafali Verma replacing her. Shafali made the most of her chance, with a player of the match performance in the final.
As a true partner in crime, Smriti Mandhana ensured Pratika Rawal received the credit she deserved. When called upon to receive the World Cup trophy, Mandhana dragged the 25-year-old on a wheelchair to join the celebrations. It reflected how the team viewed Pratika's contributions in their success.
Later, Pratika also lapped the ground on her wheelchair. She even joined in a bhangra celebration with captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Harleen Deol.
