Pratika Rawal makes her T20I debut against Thailand and gets rewarded for a stellar ODI run

Taking over her maiden T20I cap from Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Pratika Rawal made her international debut in the shortest format against Thailand in the Women’s Asia Cup match on Sunday. The 25-year-old’s inclusion comes after an excellent start to her ODI career, where she has quickly established herself as one of India’s most reliable batsmen at the top of the order.

Rawal made her ODI debut against West Indies in December 2024 and has since produced remarkable numbers. She scored 1,189 runs in 27 ODIs at an average of 47.56, including two centuries and seven fifties. Her highest score is 154, while also becoming the fastest Indian woman to reach 500 ODI runs, achieving the milestone in just eight innings.

India vs Thailand Women’s World Cup T20 Update

Her rise continued during the 2025 ODI World Cup where she scored her maiden World Cup century against New Zealand. She also became the joint fastest woman to reach 1,000 ODI runs, achieving the feat in 23 innings.

PRATIKA GETS CHANCE TO ANSWER CRITICS

Pratika Rawal got the cap from Harmanpreet Kaur. Courtesy: BCCI Women

While her ODI record is impressive, Rawal’s selection for the T20I side has drawn some criticismespecially because of her scoring rate in the format. She played 24 T20s, scoring 574 runs at an average of 24.96 and a strike rate of 105.32, with five fifties and a top score of 76.

The right-hander has not played a T20 match since 2024. She was also part of the UP Warriorz squad for the 2026 Women’s Premier League but did not feature as she continued to recover from injury.

Rawal’s T20I opportunity also came after that Jemimah Rodrigues ruled out due to injury. Now, with a maiden cap in hand, he will have a chance to turn his ODI success into a T20I impact.

With India looking to make a strong start to their Asia Cup campaign, Rawal’s debut adds another interesting story. Can he silence the doubters and make an immediate impact in his first T20I?

Playing XI for India against Thailand

India: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, N Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Nandani Sharma

Thailand: Aphisara Suwanchonrathi, Nattakan Chantam, Phannita Maya, Nannapat Koncharoenkai(w), Chanida Sutthiruang, Naomi Hamilton, Suleeporn Laomi, Nannaphat Chaihan, Sunida Chaturongrattana, Thipatcha Putthawong(c), Onnicha Kamchom

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

30 Aug 2026 19:53 IST