Pratika Rawal has quickly made a name for herself in Indian women’s cricket. She was brought into the team to replace Shafali Verma, who was going through a rough patch with the bat. While Shafali is known for her aggressive style, Pratika Rawal has impressed everyone with her calm and steady approach at the top of the order.
Her consistent performances have brought stability to the Indian batting lineup. Opening the innings with Smriti Mandhana, Pratika has formed a strong partnership that has given India solid starts in recent matches. Her style of play may be less flashy, but it has proven to be very effective and valuable for the team.
Balance at the top
Pratika Rawal made her ODI debut against the West Indies in late December 2024, stepping into the Indian side at a time when Shafali Verma was dropped from the ODI setup due to poor form. Since then, Pratika has made the most of her opportunity, forming a steady and consistent opening partnership with Smriti Mandhana. In her first six innings, she scored one century and three half-centuries, amassing a total of 444 runs — the most by any batter in their first six innings in women’s ODIs.
Unlike the daring Shafali, known for her aggressive, cross-batted strokes right from the start, Pratika Rawal relies on a solid technique and plays mostly with a straight bat. Her calm and composed style has brought much-needed balance to the Indian top order.
While Mandhana continues to dominate the powerplay with her fluent strokeplay, Pratika provides stability and builds a solid base for the innings — making the Indian opening pair look more complete and dependable.
Pratika’s ODI career got off to a solid start with impressive scores of 40 and 76 against the West Indies.
However, it was her outstanding performance in the series against Ireland that truly highlighted her consistency and game awareness. Across three ODIs, she piled up 310 runs with scores of 89, 67, and a brilliant 154 — a run that turned heads across the cricketing world.
It was during this series that selectors, fans, and the media alike began to realise that Pratika wasn’t just a temporary replacement, but a long-term asset. She proved that stability and consistencycan indeed go hand in hand in women’s cricket, and in doing so, helped India find the ideal opening partner for Smriti Mandhana ahead of the World Cup.
Steady, Stylish, Reliable
The backfoot punch, the flick of the wrist, and the elegant lofted drives with a straight extension of the arms — these have already become signature shots in Pratika Rawal’s young career. Every time she plays them, there’s a sense of calm and assurance that settles in. It feels as though the hopes of a billion rest comfortably on her young shoulders, driven by composure and quiet determination. Currently pursuing her master’s in Psychology, Pratika Rawal brings a rare mental strength to the field — an ability to bounce back, stay grounded, and thrive under pressure, something she has shown clearly in the ongoing World Cup.
What stands out even more is her maturity at the crease.
She isn’t fazed by Smriti Mandhana’s aggressive stroke-play at the other end — the aerial drives, the early domination — Pratika Rawal stays in her own zone, unhurried and focused. She builds her innings with patience, only taking risks when the situation demands.
Her game awareness and self-awareness work together seamlessly, making her not just a dependable opener, but also a player wise beyond her years.
More to Come from Pratika
Yes, there have been questions raised about Pratika’s strike rate and her ability to rotate strike more consistently. But with a career strike rate of over 80, she has laid a solid foundation — one that is far from disappointing, especially for someone at the start of their international journey.
With time, experience, and her already impressive skill set, there’s little doubt that she will evolve into a more fluent and aggressive batter as the demands of modern-day cricket grow. In the ongoing World Cup — where batting hasn’t been easy and the Indian lineup has struggled apart from the recent clash against Australia — Pratika has quietly held her own.
Scoring 180 runs in four innings, she has provided India with steady and balanced starts every time she’s walked out to bat. At just the beginning of her career, it’s her consistency that stands out the most. With time and the right guidance, there’s every reason to believe that she will transform into an even more ruthless version of herself — a batter who cannot only anchor but dominate. For now, Indian cricket has found a calm, dependable force at the top — and that’s a win in itself.
Pratika Rawal ODI career in a glance
Matches 21
Runs 982
Avg 49.10
SR 82.38
50/100 7/1
HS 154
