Why Was Pratika Rawal On A Wheelchair During The ICC World Cup Final Celebration?

The Indian women’s cricket team etched their name in history by winning its first ever ICC Women’s World Cup title on Sunday night. With the momentous victory over former World Cup Champions South Africa by 52 runs at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, the nation erupted in celebration. The golden moment turned even more special when injured opener Patrika Rawal captured dancing and celebrating with the women's cricket team sitting on a wheelchair.

Pratika Rawal was part of the Indian Women’s World Cup squad as an opener alongside Smriti Mandhana, before getting injured in the last league match against Bangladesh.

Good to see Pratika Rawal at the stadium 🏟️ #indwvssaw #CWC25 #INDvsSA #ICCWomensWorldCup2025 pic.twitter.com/Y4yz6hFHoR

— FTino (@FernadoTin10172) November 2, 2025

Why Pratika Rawal Was On Wheelchair?

Being a designated opener of the world cup cricket squad, Rawal was recording some of her best innings before things took a wrong turn. In six innings of the World Cup 2025, she scored a total of 308 runs at an impressive average of 51.33, including a memorable century against New Zealand.

However, her ICC women’s world cup tournament came to an abrupt end after sustaining a hairline fracture in her leg during the last league match against Bangladesh on October 26. Rawal suffered a nasty-looking ankle and knee injury while fielding again in the rain-affected match. She slipped awkwardly trying to stop runs, twisting her ankle and hurting her knee.

Visibly in pain, Rawal was carried out off the field with the help of team members and staff members. The 25-year-old could not return for the rest of the match. Later, a BCCI update confirmed a hairline fracture and strain, ruling her out of the rest of the tournament.

Also Read: Smriti Mandhana On 45-Day Sleep Deprivation Before ICC Women World Cup: What Causes This And How To Cope?

Pratika Rawal Replacement

To fill the absence of star opener, BCCI announced Shefali Verma as the replacement, who contributed significantly to India’s win over South Africa. The young batter, who was not even part of the initial 15-member squad, turns out to be the ‘Player Of The Match’. Shaifali delivered a stellar performance, scoring 87 runs off 78 balls, with the help of seven fours and two sixes, taking India to a valuable score of 298 runs. Being an allrounder, team’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur, also tasked her with a crucial seven over bowling. During her bowling span, the 21-year-old young player took 2 major wickets, coinciding just 36 runs.

During the post-match interview, Shaifali said, “I said at the start that God has sent me to do something good. And today that has been reflected. And I am very happy that we finally won the World Cup. I can't express it in words”

 

 

 

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Reflecting on replacing Pratika, Shaifali had earlier remarked, ”What happened with Pratika as a sportsperson, it wasn’t a good thing. No one wants any sportsperson to sustain such an injury. But God has sent me here to do something good.”

Also Read: Expert Shares If It's Normal To Have Anxiety Daily? Exploring Jemimah Rodrigues’ Daily Anxiety During CWC25

Pratika Rawal Health Update

While the Women Cricket Team achieved glory showing the outstanding performance, Pratika Rawal is still under scans and diagnosis. Yet, her presence at the post-match celebration, dancing and enjoying, on the wheelchair, gives positive hints about her recovery.