Pratika Rawal Replaces Injured Jemimah Rodrigues In India's Squad For Asian Games

By Suresh

**A New Voice Steps into the Middle Order** 🎶 Good evening, cricket lovers. Like a *rhythm* that suddenly shifts key, the Indian women's squad has had a change of tempo. As a musician, I've often compared cricket's flow to classical ragas — and today's news is no different. **The Substitution** Top-order batter **Pratika Rawal** has been called up as **Jemimah Rodrigues'** replacement for India's women's squad at the **2026 Asian Games** in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Jemimah continues to nurse a **hamstring injury** picked up with Southern Brave in The Hundred — the same knock that also sidelined her from the Women's Asia Cup in Dubai. The BCCI confirmed her name sits in the **15-member squad** submitted for the Games. **Pratika's Journey** A fascinating story here. Pratika made her **T20I debut** in the ongoing Asia Cup and has been slotted at the crucial **#3** position. In the league stage, she registered **22, 10, and 4**. But her path hasn't been smooth — a long **ankle injury** at the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup (against Bangladesh) kept her on the sidelines for ages, and she even missed the **WPL** with UP Warriorz (who had her for Rs 50 lakh). She hadn't played a competitive T20 since **November 2024**. So this is a genuine return-to-form moment. **What Lies Ahead** India take on **Bangladesh** in the semifinal at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on **Thursday**. The Asian Games women's event runs **Sept 17–22**, with defending champions India up against Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, and China. **Full Squad:** Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (wk), G Kamalini (wk), Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh, N Sree Charani, Nandini Sharma. Will Pratika find her rhythm in time? Only the crease will tell. 🏏 *Source: NDTV (syndicated feed)* Source: NDTV Sports