A major blow can be dealt to Team India ahead of their much-anticipated World Cup semi-final clash against Australia that is set to be played on October 30. This is due to there being a lot of chances that star batter Pratika Rawal will miss the upcoming match. Notably, she had hurt her knee and ankle while fielding during the Women in Blue's clash against Bangladesh on Sunday and was soon taken off the field. She didn't return to the field for the remainder of the innings and didn't open the batting for the side.
According to a report by The Indian Express, Pratika is likely to miss the crucial semi-final match against Australia as she will not be able to fully recover in time. The batter had been in great form in the tournament and had already scored 308 runs in six innings. This included a half-century against Australia and a fine knock of 122 against New Zealand. She had formed key opening partnerships alongside Smriti Mandhana, who has also been in red-hot form in the tournament.
After Pratika had been taken off the field during the match against Bangladesh, it was Amanjot Kaur who was given the responsibility to open India's innings alongside Mandhana. The duo formed a strong 57-run stand and both of them looked to be in good touch, but the rain ended up having the final say.
Harmanpreet's update on Pratika
Following the conclusion of the match, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur had shared an update on Pratika's injury and had hoped for her to be back in action as soon as possible.
“Our medical team will give an update on her. They are taking care of her, and hopefully, she will be back soon,” Harmanpreet said in the post-match ceremony.
BCCI's statement on Pratika
The BCCI had also released a statement on Pratika's injury and had said that she will be monitored by the medical team.
“Team India all-rounder Pratika Rawal sustained an injury to her knee and ankle while fielding in the 1st innings against Bangladesh. The BCCI Medical Team is closely monitoring her progress,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, India finished the league stage on fourth place with seven points from as many games. They won and lost three matches each during the stage and though it wasn't quite an impressive performance from the Women in Blue, it was enough to see them qualify for the semi-finals. Their match against Australia will be a huge test as not only are their opponents unbeaten so far in the tournament, they are also the defending champions and will pose to be a major threat for the hosts.