Pratika Rawal on World Cup Injury: I Was Determined to Walk, Even If I Had to Limp

November 2, 2026, marked one year since India made history by winning its maiden ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2025, ending a long wait for a world title on home soil. On JioStar’s ‘Celebrating The Champions’, Pratika Rawal reflected on her memorable century against Zimbabwe and the injury that ruled her out of the tournament, Shafali Verma recalled receiving her call-up midway through the tournament, while Head Coach Amol Muzumdar revisited his decision to address the team after their defeat to England:

We were stepping out to bat in the first ODI against Zimbabwe, and the highlights of the India vs New Zealand match from the 2025 World Cup were being played on TV and there was this small font written which said on this day. I had scored a hundred in that World Cup match, and I asked Amol sir whether this match had been played on 23rd October. He said yes, it was on this exact date. So, we were having this conversation with Smriti di and Amol sir and we decided to recreate this. And I scored a hundred in that match against Zimbabwe. It felt really good to score a century on the exact same date.

When I fell down during the match against Bangladesh, I knew something was wrong. I'm very aware of my body, and the impact didn't feel right. I didn't want to leave on a stretcher, so I was determined to walk, even if I had to limp. After reaching the dressing room, I informed our Head of Sports Science and Medicine, and the X-ray confirmed a fracture, which meant my World Cup was over. My dad was in the stands and kept calling me, but my phone was with the manager. When our physio told me he was worried, I asked her to let him know I was okay, even though I knew I wasn't. It was tough to get injured during a World Cup, but watching the girls play in the semi-final and final was amazing. I watched the semi-final from my hotel room, with my dad beside me, anxiously hoping we would win. It was a mix of emotions, but having great people around me made all the difference.

I was representing Haryana in a state-level match when the national team manager suddenly called to inform me that I had been selected for the remaining matches of the World Cup. I couldn't believe it, as I had been away from social media and wasn't even following the tournament, having focused entirely on my own game. I felt all the hard work I had put in over the past year was finally paying off. The team welcomed me warmly, and the two or three net sessions helped me adapt to the conditions and find my rhythm. Being in good touch through domestic cricket also gave me confidence. The work I had put into myself was reflecting in my game, and that felt good.

The group stage match against England, which we were supposed to win by a nice margin, we were not able to finish and ended up losing. That was our third defeat of the World Cup, and I wasn't happy about it, nor were the players. I decided we had to make something happen there. Unless we took action, nothing was going to change. My support staff did mention, 'not now, Amol.' But I decided otherwise. I said, 'no, if not now, then never.' So that was when I stepped in. I mentioned to shut the windows because I didn't want the public to see it, but at the same time, it was needed. I just said what I felt through my heart. It was great on the team's part that they took it positively because it was meant for the betterment of the team. I was thankful they took it that way. Everyone knows how beautifully talented these players are. I was lucky to be handling players with immense talent. Unless you showed that talent on the field, it wasn't going to culminate into a result. You could speak in the dressing room, in the meetings, in the drawing rooms or in the hotels, but unless you showed it on the ground, that's where it mattered. So, I just wanted them to realise that.