Why is Pratika Rawal not playing ENG-W vs IND-W one-off Test?
(Courtesy : BCCI)
Pratika Rawal is not part of the historic Test match taking place at Lord’s.
India Women are taking on England in a one-off Test; the match started today, July 10. Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat-Sciver Brunt walked out for the toss. The hosts won the toss and decided to bowl first.
England had played the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 final just five days earlier. It has been a rapid turnaround for them.
While England are fielding two debutants, India handed Shree Charani her debut Test cap. The Women in Blue are entering the clash with two pacers and three spinners. Moreover, Yastika Bhatia has returned to the team.
Indian team suffered a major setback ahead of the historic match when Pratika Rawal got injured. She missed the one-off encounter at Lord’s.
Injury woes continue for Pratika Rawal
In the pre-match press conference, India’s head coach Amol Mazumdar informed that Pratika Rawal has been ruled out of the Test and Priya Punia has been included in the squad as her replacement.
“Pratika has been ruled out of the Test match due to her injury in the India A match. She has got a cut on her knee which required some stitches. She is out for the Test match and Priya Punia has been added into the squad,” said Muzumdar.
Rawal could not play in the knockout stage of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 due to an ankle injury sustained during the match against Bangladesh. She had a phenomenal World Cup campaign until that injury, scoring more than 300 runs in 6 games, with a century against New Zealand.
She featured in the Test match against Australia in March, where she scored 18 and 63 in the two innings batting at No. 3. Yastika Bhatia has been given an opportunity for the Test match against England in this position.
Pratika also missed the Women’s Premier League 2026 and was not selected for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 following that. This Test was her return to competitive cricket after March, but the wait continues.
Why is Pratika Rawal not playing the one-off Test against England?
Rawal sustained a cut on her knee that required stitches, and she ultimately had to withdraw from the Test.
Who replaced Pratika Rawal for the one-off Test against England?
Priya Punia has been named as the replacement for Pratika Rawal for the one-off Test against England.
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Cricket runs in the blood of Indians — and that’s something she truly believes in. A law student with a lifelong connection to the game, she has followed cricket passionately since his school days. Like countless young fans, she first experienced the sport on the field before deepening his understanding through constant watching, reading, and conversations around the game. Writing became a natural extension of that passion, bringing a “Pavilion Perspective” to his work — capturing how fans experience matches through their own lens.