Shafali Verma has been chosen to replace Pratika Rawal
Two years apart, Indian women’s cricket finds itself in a strikingly familiar situation. In 2023, it was the eve of the T20 World Cup semi-final against Australia when the team was struck by unexpected news pace all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar was ruled out due to illness, prompting the late inclusion of Sneh Rana.
Fast forward to 2025, and déjà vu strikes again. Just before another semi-final clash against Australia, India has lost Pratika Rawal, their most consistent batter of the tournament, to injury. Her replacement none other than Shafali Verma, the young powerhouse known for her explosive intent at the top.
This uncanny recurrence same opponents, same stage, same chaos before the semi-final speaks volumes about the fragility and unpredictability of tournament cricket. But it also highlights how India’s response to crisis has evolved, from reactive in 2023 to daringly bold in 2025.
The 2025 Blow: Pratika Rawal’s Untimely Injury
The official ICC statement confirmed the news that shook India’s campaign. Pratika Rawal, who had twisted her right ankle while fielding in the final league match against Bangladesh, was ruled out for the remainder of the tournament.
The ICC Event Technical Committee approved Shafali Verma as her replacement, following due medical certification and review — a move that required clearance before she could be officially added to the squad.
Rawal’s absence is no small void. The 23-year-old opener had been in sublime touch throughout the 2025 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, amassing 308 runs in six innings at an average of 51.33, including a century against New Zealand and a fluent 75 versus Australia earlier in the group stage.
Her steady presence at the top provided India a sense of calm and control qualities that often define success in 50-over cricket.
To lose her on the eve of a semi-final against the reigning champions is a cruel blow, both tactically and psychologically.
Enter Shafali Verma: Risk, Reward, and Redemption
If Rawal’s game was about measured assurance, Shafali Verma’s return represents the other extreme raw firepower. Out of the ODI setup for nearly a year, Verma has fought her way back with dominant domestic performances and strong showings in the Women’s Premier League and India A circuit.
Her selection, however, comes loaded with narrative weight. She was left out of the original World Cup squad, with selectors citing a need for more 50-over maturity. Now, fate has flipped the script and she walks straight into one of the most high-pressure matches of her career.
Verma’s inclusion alters India’s batting tone dramatically. While Rawal anchored from one end, Shafali will look to attack from ball one. That brings potential benefits quick scoring, early dominance but also high risk. Against a disciplined Australian attack, the line between impact and implosion is thin.
India’s management will now have to recalibrate its approach. Smriti Mandhana may take on a more stabilizing role, while Shafali is tasked with unsettling Australia’s rhythm early on. The chemistry of that opening pair one calm, one chaotic could define India’s fate.
This is not the first time India has been here. In Cape Town 2023, hours before the T20 World Cup semi-final, Pooja Vastrakar was ruled out with illness. Her replacement, Sneh Rana, was approved just in time by the ICC Event Technical Committee.
That late change forced a tactical rethink a pace all-rounder replaced by a spin all-rounder altering India’s bowling composition on a dry track. Despite a spirited performance, India fell short by five runs against Australia, a heartbreak compounded by Harmanpreet Kaur’s run-out in the chase.
The 2025 scenario feels like a thematic continuation another semi-final versus Australia, another last-minute replacement, another test of adaptability under duress. But the difference this time lies in India’s mindset.
The ICC’s Event Technical Committee once again played a key procedural role. For the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, the committee chaired by Wasim Khan (ICC General Manager, Cricket) and including Gaurav Saxena, Abey Kuruvilla, and Mel Jones verified Rawal’s medical unavailability before approving Verma’s inclusion.
This procedural step, often overlooked in the headlines, ensures fairness and transparency. It prevents tactical exploitation while allowing teams flexibility to manage genuine crises. In both 2023 and 2025, the committee’s consistency has upheld the integrity of the process, though the consequences for India have been strategically profound.
No matter the format or venue, India vs Australia in women’s cricket has become a theatre of recurring drama. From the 2017 ODI World Cup semi-final to the 2020 T20 World Cup final and now consecutive semi-finals in 2023 and 2025, every meeting carries narrative weight.
Australia thrives on discipline and mental strength; India thrives on flair and emotion. In both 2023 and 2025, that contrast has sharpened when adversity struck India just before facing their archrivals.
This 2025 semi-final, therefore, is not just another knockout it’s the latest chapter in a rivalry that refuses to fade. Whether it’s Pooja Vastrakar’s illness two years ago or Pratika Rawal’s injury now, Australia always seems to face an Indian side forced into last-minute improvisation. And yet, India’s resilience continues to define the contest.
Full Circle Moment for Shafali Verma
For Shafali Verma, this call-up is more than a replacement it’s a redemption arc. At 21, she’s already seen the highs of global finals and the lows of exclusion. To return for a semi-final against Australia, at home, with millions watching, is the kind of script that could either revive or redefine her ODI career.
India’s journey to this point has been built on structure and stability traits personified by Rawal. But sometimes, in sport, disruption creates opportunity. Shafali Verma embodies that disruption.
Whether her fearless strokeplay fuels India’s resurgence or exposes its fragility will unfold soon but one thing is certain: this rivalry, and this moment, will once again shape the legacy of Indian women’s cricket.
