[CRK]
Pratika Rawal: ‘I have my own medal now’
India opener Pratika Rawal, who missed the semi-final and final of the World Cup due to injury, said that she believed in her replacement Shafali Verma to do “something special” in the final.
Rawal, who joined India’s celebrations after winning the final against South Africa in a wheelchair, also received her medal, which had initially not been given to her because she was ruled out of the tournament.
“I have my own medal now,” she was quoted as saying. “One of the support staff had lent me theirs temporarily because mine hadn’t reached on time. Jay [Shah, ICC chairman] sir has sent me a medal, someone told me. I was so happy but people made a big deal of it online, it will take some time but will come to me.”
Conversation with Shafali Verma
Shafali partnered with Smriti Mandhana at the top of the order in the crucial semi-final against Australia as well as the final against South Africa, where she finished as Player of the Match, scoring 87 and also picking up two wickets.
Rawal revealed the conversation she had with Shafali before the game. “Shafali doesn’t need motivation. She plays with instinct and belief,” Rawal said. “Before the final, she came up to me and said, ‘I’m really sorry you can’t play,’ and I told her it’s fine, these things happen. I had a feeling she would do something special that day.”
Recovery and Future Plans
Rawal, who had scored 308 runs in the tournament, finished fourth on the list of highest run-scorers after South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt (571), Mandhana (434) and Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner (328). She injured her ankle and knee while fielding against Bangladesh in the last league game.
Being a psychology student, she said it was easy for her to process the setback. “…as someone who has studied psychology, it really helped me to understand human emotions better – including my own,” she said. “The first thing is to accept what’s happened. You can’t undo it. Once I accepted the injury, I focused only on what I could control – recovery, sleep, nutrition, and supporting the team.”
On her recovery, Rawal sounded optimistic. “I’m feeling a lot better now. My X-ray is due in a few days, and I’m doing most things on my own. I’ve started light mobility work too. Once the doctors clear me, I’ll start batting again. I’m very excited to return – I miss holding the bat,” she said.
“My next target is to complete rehab properly and come back for the domestic season. I don’t like rushing recovery. I’m a person who can bat all day and still not get tired – I want to get back to that zone.”
Batting Approach
Commenting on her batting approach, Rawal said she doesn’t believe in fixed roles. “Every match demands something different. If Smriti gets out early, I’m told to anchor and stay long,” she said. “If we need to score runs quickly, I’m asked to accelerate. For me, it’s never about personal milestones, it’s about the team’s rhythm.”
