Shreyanka Patil chased a ball toward mid-on, twisted her right ankle and went down. It was the first ball of the sixth over of the Netherlands’ innings in India’s Group A match on Wednesday, and she had only just come on to bowl. She was stretchered off. Her World Cup was over.
The BCCI has named leg-spinner Prema Rawat to replace her. The ICC’s Event Technical Committee approved the change, which it must do before any replacement can officially join a squad. The BCCI gave the date of the injury as June 17.
Patil, 23, had recently come back from an earlier injury. She bowled three overs against Pakistan earlier in the tournament and finished with 0 for 17, in a win in which she also took a diving catch. This year she was part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru side that won the Women’s Premier League. After her return she spoke about the toll of repeated injuries and said she had considered quitting the game, crediting her family for keeping her going.
Who is Rawat
Rawat is 24 and uncapped, so a place in the squad puts her on the verge of an India debut. She took eight wickets in five matches at an average of 9.62 as India won the Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament. On India A’s tour of Australia last year she shared the lead in wickets with seven in three T20s. She has played six Women’s Premier League matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru over two seasons and taken three wickets, and she was part of Uttarakhand’s win in the Senior Women’s domestic championship.
India have won both of their matches and play South Africa at Old Trafford in Manchester on June 21. Without Patil, one of their spin options in the middle overs is gone.
The selectors also changed the India A squads for the coming series against England A. Niki Prasad joins the T20 squad and Minnu Mani the One-Day squad.
Sources
- Who is Prema Rawat? India's surprise T20 World Cup 2026 pick
- Women’s T20 World Cup 2026: Prema Rawat replaces injured Shreyanka Patil in India squad
- Prema Rawat to replace injured Shreyanka Patil at ICC Women's T20 World Cup
