The injury to Rodrigues has had a significant impact on her availability, ruling her out of both the ongoing Women’s Asia Cup in Dubai and the upcoming continental tournament in Japan. While Rawal was initially drafted into the Asia Cup squad as a temporary measure, it has now been confirmed by a BCCI source that she will also travel with the 15-member team to the Asian Games.
A significant return to the international stage
The 17-year-old’s inclusion marks a notable comeback following a challenging period of injury-related setbacks. Rawal had been absent from competitive T20 cricket since November 2024 and was notably forced to miss the 2026 Women’s Premier League after sustaining an ankle injury during the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup. Although she had been signed by the UP Warriorz for Rs 50 lakh, the injury prevented her from participating in the 2026 season. She was in the process of preparing for a stint with Warwickshire in England when the national call-up arrived.
Since making her T20I debut in the current Asia Cup, Rawal has been utilized by the team management at the No. 3 position. In her three league-stage appearances to date, she has recorded scores of 22, 10, and 4. Her performance in these matches has provided the selectors with an opportunity to assess her form ahead of the trip to Japan.
Defending the title in Japan
India heads into the Asian Games as the defending champions, having claimed the gold medal in Hangzhou after a 19-run victory over Sri Lanka in the previous final. The tournament, which features an eight-team field, is scheduled to run from September 17 to 22. Alongside India, the competition includes Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, and China.
The full Indian squad for the Asian Games consists of Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), 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, and Nandni Sharma.
