The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially confirmed that Shafali Verma has been approved as the replacement for the injured Pratika Rawal in India’s World Cup squad for the remainder of the tournament. The approval came on Monday, October 27, following a review by the Event Technical Committee, which is mandatory for any squad change during the tournament.
Rawal sustained an injury after she slipped and fell awkwardly while fielding near the boundary ropes in India’s rain-affected league game against Bangladesh in Navi Mumbai. The incident has ruled her out of the tournament, dealing a blow to India ahead of their semifinal clash against Australia, scheduled for Thursday at the same venue. Rawal has been one of India’s most consistent performers since her debut late last year.
Shafali Verma, who is currently the leading run-scorer in the ongoing Senior Women’s T20 League, was in Surat at the time of her call-up and will join the national team ahead of Tuesday’s training session in Navi Mumbai. The Haryana captain has been in red-hot form, scoring 341 runs in seven innings, including a century and two half-centuries, at an impressive average of 56.83 and strike rate of 182.35.
The 21-year-old batter, known for her aggressive style, had been India’s long-time opening partner alongside Smriti Mandhana before being dropped last year due to inconsistent performances after the New Zealand series in Ahmedabad. Her comeback is expected to bolster India’s top order as they chase a place in the final.
Verma also featured in the India A squad for the official World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand, where she top-scored with a quickfire 70 off 49 balls, helping the team secure a four-wicket win (DLS method) in Bengaluru.
India will hope Verma’s return injects both confidence and firepower into their batting lineup ahead of the crucial knockout phase.
