As India gears up for the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, opening batter Pratika Rawal has emerged as one of the most compelling stories in the team, both on and off the field. The 25-year-old top-order batter, who has already struck a century and six half-centuries since her international debut in December 2024, is currently playing a pivotal role in the India–Australia ODI series at home.
With 89 runs in two matches, including a composed 64 in the opener at New Chandigarh, Rawal has stood out not only for her partnerships with Smriti Mandhana but also for her candid reflections on JioHotstar’s special show Off the Pitch. Speaking openly about her mindset, her bond with Mandhana, and the balance between academics and cricket, Rawal provided a rare insight into her journey of taking on responsibility as a young Indian cricketer.
Rawal’s ODI career has been nothing short of impressive since her debut against the West Indies at Vadodara in December 2024. In just 16 innings, she has scored 792 runs at an average of 52.80 and a strike rate of 84.97, already decorated with six half-centuries and a monumental century. That knock, 154 off 129 balls against Ireland in January 2025 at Rajkot, was a milestone innings where she smashed 20 fours and a six, helping India post a record margin victory by 304 runs.
Such innings, combined with her consistency, cemented her stature as one of India’s brightest prospects and earned her the Player of the Series award against Ireland with 310 runs in three matches.
In the ongoing ODI series, Rawal has been vital in giving India strong starts. Her 114-run opening stand with vice-captain Smriti Mandhana in the 1st ODI and the follow-up 70-run stand in the 2nd have once again underlined why the duo is among India’s most reliable opening pairs. Together, they have amassed 1,270 runs from 16 innings at a staggering average of 79.37, featuring five century and seven half-century partnerships. Their highest stand of 233 runs already places them as the fifth most prolific Indian pair in the format.
As Rawal put it, batting with Mandhana has always felt natural, “I think it’s quite easy and quite natural. We don’t have to talk much between innings. Even off the field, she is an introvert, and so am I, though we’d call ourselves ambiverts. Because of that, we don’t need to put in extra effort to connect; we already understand each other.”
What stands out about Rawal’s reflections on Off the Pitch is her clarity on responsibility, both personal and collective. She spoke about visualisation, psychology, and her determination to put the team’s needs first. “I have visualised it a lot. Beyond personal goals, I value team goals more. If I can be an asset to the team, I believe that’s the greatest contribution I can make.”
Rawal also connected this sense of responsibility with her childhood, sharing,
“As a kid, I always loved taking up responsibilities and enjoyed being a leader in school. From the beginning, I enjoyed leadership roles. Even now, I see this responsibility as a privilege. It motivates me to become the best version of myself.”
Rawal’s journey is also deeply anchored in her family and academic discipline. Coming from a family of professionals, engineers, businessmen, and lawyers, expectations often leaned towards academics.
She recalled, “I remember in the 12th standard, my mom told me I had to score at least 90%, otherwise I would have to leave cricket. Even my grandparents felt it was a matter of pride that I do well in studies because it runs in the family.”
With the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 being hosted by India and Sri Lanka from 30th September to 2nd November, Rawal will enter the tournament not just as a promising young opener but as a key figure in India’s title ambitions. India faces Australia in the series decider at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, on September 20, a final rehearsal before the main event. For Rawal, the dream lies ahead, but the privilege is already real:
“The responsibility of playing cricket for India is a privilege for me, which not many people get.”
Fans can catch India’s World Cup opener on September 30 against Sri Lanka, led by skipper Chamari Athapaththu, at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati, live on JioHotstar and the Star Sports Network. For Rawal, it will be the continuation of a story that blends intelligence, composure, and courage, qualities that are quickly making her the face of a new generation in Indian cricket.
(Quotes sourced from JioHotstar show ‘Off the Pitch’)
