Why is Jemimah Rodrigues not playing IND-W vs THAI-W clash in Asia Cup 2026?
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Jemimah Rodrigues is one of India’s most experienced women’s T20I cricketers.
India begin their Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 campaign against Thailand in Dubai with a strong squad and high expectations. The tournament is an important part of India’s Asia Cup campaign as the Women in Blue look to end their inconsistent run in the shortest format of the game.
India are among the favourites for the competition, having won the Women’s Asia Cup multiple times previously. The side has won all four times the tournament was played in the ODI format and also won three times in the shortest format of the game. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side will therefore be looking to start their campaign on a strong note against Thailand.
However, one notable name is missing from India’s lineup as they take the field for the first game in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026. India have been placed in the same group alongside Thailand, Hong Kong and Pakistan Women.
Why did Jemimah Rodrigues miss IND-W vs THAI-W clash in Asia Cup 2026?
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Jemimah Rodrigues is not playing against Thailand because she has been ruled out of the entire Women’s Asia Cup with a high-grade right hamstring tear.
The injury occurred on August 3 while Rodrigues was playing for the Southern Brave in The Hundred in England. She was then observed and assessed by the BCCI medical team at the Centre of Excellence, where the extent of the injury was confirmed.
The injury was serious enough to rule her out not only of the Asia Cup but also of the 2026 Asian Games, which is scheduled to take place in Japan next month. Rodrigues is one of the most-capped Indian T20I players, with 131 matches, and has scored 2824 runs.
Pratika Rawal replaces Jemimah Rodrigues
Following the medical assessment, it was confirmed that the women’s selection committee named Pratika Rawal as Rodrigues’ replacement. Rawal returned to the Indian setup following her stint with India A.
Her inclusion gave India another batting option, although her role doesn’t seem like a like-for-like role replacing Rodrigues. Though the batter has no experience in T20 internationals, she was part of India’s victorious Women’s World Cup campaign in 2025.
Despite Jemimah Rodrigues not playing in the Asia Cup, India women have many experienced batters like captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma, who can lift India’s hopes in the continental competition.
Will Jemimah Rodrigues play for India in the Asian Games 2026?
No, Jemimah Rodrigues will not play for India in the 2026 Asian Games because a serious leg injury has ruled her out of the tournament.
Is Pratika Rawal playing the IND-W vs THAI-W match?
Yes, Pratika Rawal is playing in the India Women (INDW) vs Thailand Women (THAIW) match.
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Subhomoy Datta has been a sports writer since 2022. He holds a BSc in Microbiology from Rastraguru Surendranath College, WBSU, and is currently pursuing his master’s at NIT Surathkal. With a growing interest in sports journalism, he enjoys following the game closely and turning sporting moments into stories for fans.