Shreyanka Patil was chasing the ball in the last over of the Powerplay when her ankle twisted. She went down clutching her right leg, the team physio ran on, and she left the field on a stretcher after bowling a single delivery.
The injury ended the 23-year-old offspinner’s Women’s T20 World Cup. It happened at Headingley on Wednesday, in India’s second group match, a 95-run win over the Netherlands.
The ICC’s Event Technical Committee approved Prema Rawat as her replacement. “The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 has approved Prema Rawat as a replacement for Shreyanka Patil in the India squad,” an ICC release said.
Who is Rawat
Rawat is a 24-year-old uncapped legspinner, and this is her first call-up to the senior national team. She has played six Women’s Premier League matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru over two seasons and took three wickets. At home she plays for Uttarakhand.
For India A she took eight wickets in five matches as the side won the Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars title, at an economy rate of 4.27. She also shared the lead for wickets on India A’s tour of Australia last year with seven in three T20s. Before the call came she was part of the India A squad due to tour England for a six-match white-ball series.
The gap she leaves
Cricbuzz pointed out that Patil’s loss still leaves a void. Besides her fielding, she was a standout attacking option with the ball against left-handers and at the death. Only four bowlers in India’s squad have delivered at least 15 overs at the death in the WPL, and Patil and Nandni Sharma stand out among them.
Whether India play Rawat straight away or pick Radha Yadav is open. Both field well and can bat in the lower middle order. India may also have to adjust their pace attack to cover the matchups Patil was used for.
Patil has been unlucky for years. A broken finger in July 2024 ruled her out of that year’s T20 World Cup, and shin splints in both legs and a stress reaction in her wrist followed.
India have a couple of days to recover before facing South Africa on June 21 at Old Trafford, which Cricbuzz called arguably the most critical match of the group.
Sources
- Shreyanka Patil ruled out of T20 WC with ankle injury
- Shreyanka Patil ruled out of T20 WC with ankle injury, uncapped Prema Rawat named replacement
