Birmingham, Aug 15 (IANS) Top-order batter Pratika Rawal will miss her planned domestic stint with Warwickshire in the One-Day Cup in England after earning a maiden T20I call-up to India’s squad for the upcoming ACC Women’s Asia Cup.
Pratika was named by the Amita Sharma-led Women’s Selection Committee as a replacement for star batter Jemimah Rodrigues, who has been ruled out of both the Asia Cup in the UAE and the Asian Games in Japan due to a high-grade right hamstring tear.
The maiden T20I call-up Pratika, 25, who was scheduled to join Warwickshire on August 19 for the remainder of the season, will no longer travel to Edgbaston. Warwickshire women’s head coach Ali Maiden expressed disappointment at losing Pratika’s services, while wishing her success on national duty.
“We were really looking forward to welcoming Pratika into our squad for the remainder of the season, and we’re incredibly disappointed to lose her. That being said, we’ve still got a lot to play for in the remaining weeks of the season, and we’re confident in the squad we have at our disposal. Playing for your country is the ultimate honour, and we wish Pratika well in the Asia Cup,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
Pratika, a member of India’s 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup-winning side, will now leave for Dubai with the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side ahead of their tournament opener against Thailand on August 30. Pratika is yet to be capped in T20Is, but she has featured in 27 ODIs and amassed 1189 runs. She made a fifty on her Test debut against Australia at Perth earlier this year.
India will also face Hong Kong and China on September 3, before the marquee clash against arch-rivals Pakistan takes place on September 5. All matches of the tournament will be played at the Dubai International Stadium, as the UAE plays host to the tournament for the first time. The semi-finals will be held on September 10 and 11, with the final to be played on September 13.
–IANS
nr/bsk/
