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India Rule Out Pratika Rawal for World Cup Semi-Final, Add Shafali Verma to Squad

Her absence forces a rethink of India's opening pair and bowling balance before Australia await at DY Patil on October 30.

Overview

  • Rawal injured her ankle and knee while fielding in the rain-hit Bangladesh game that was abandoned, ending her tournament after scoring 308 runs as one of India’s leading batters.
  • Tournament regulations and a wet forecast mean a washout across the semi-final and its reserve day would send Australia to the final on superior group-stage record.
  • Shafali Verma is a like-for-like top-order replacement, with analysts also weighing options such as promoting Harleen Deol, using Amanjot Kaur, or bringing in Uma Chetry.
  • Recent commentary stresses retaining six bowling options against Australia after India previously failed to defend 330 in the group-stage meeting.
  • Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav’s three wickets on her first outing and a record 25,965 crowd at DY Patil underscore India’s spin depth and strong home support.