Shafali Verma Replaces Injured Pratika Rawal in Women's WC 2025

By: WE staff | Tuesday, 28 October 2025

• Shafali Verma has taken the place of Pratika Rawal in India's team for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025
• Rawal was hurt while fielding during the game against Bangladesh

The ICC has approved Indian opener Shafali Verma as a replacement for injured Pratika Rawal for India at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025.

The Event Committee granted the approval subsequent to Pratika sustaining a leg injury while fielding during India's last league match of the tournament against Bangladesh on Sunday.

With Shafali, as she was not in the original squad or a standby, to be incorporated into the fold before the semi-final match against Australia on 30 October in Navi Mumbai and can be selected imminently. 

Her presence is a significant development of the Indian campaign as selectors had selected Pratika Rawal to open with Smriti Mandhana due to her consistency.

Though Shafali, 21, last played ODI for India in October 2024, she has performed well in domestic and India A matches recently, scoring 52 against Australia A at Brisbane and scoring 70 against New Zealand A in Bengaluru.

In the 2024-25 domestic one-day seasons, Shafali amassed a total of 527 runs at a striking strike rate of 152.31 and with an impressive average of 75.28 for Haryana, including an incredible knock of 197 from 115 balls against Bengal.

She has continued her great run of scoring in WPL 2025 season, where she was Delhi Capitals' best Indian batter with 304 runs at a strike rate of 152.76.

Pratika's injury is a loss to Team India, as she was one of the tournament's top run-scorers with 308 runs in six innings, 100 against New Zealand and 75 against Australia.