KNOW YOUR PLAYER
Follow UsPratika Rawal, who was handed her debut against West Indies women on December 22, became the 150th capped player for India Women. Rawal has quite an interesting tale, a rather unexpected route from studying psychology to playing cricket for Delhi.
But ever since she set her sights on cricket, the 24-year-old has been quite a prolific run-scorer on the domestic circuit, making the headlines with a 155-ball 161 for Delhi in 2021. The right-handed batter was a menace in her debut year, with 247 runs, averaging 49.50.
Over the next two years, the Delhi opener almost amassed 1,000 runs in the List-A format, showing a crazy appetite for runs. In the 2022-23 season, the right-hander scored 552 runs across 14 games, with five half-centuries. Those numbers only upped the following year, with 411 runs in 7 innings, including two centuries and two fifties, averaging 68.50.
It was only natural for someone of Rawal’s stature to be a big name in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Delhi Premier League (W DPL), where she represented the East Delhi Riders. Rawal showed her game with 93 runs in just two fixtures, the fourth-most in the competition, and further added a feather to her cap, captaining Delhi in the 2024 Under-23 T20 Trophy, taking them to the final.
Overall, the Delhi opener has scored 1,368 runs in her List-A career, with a solid average of 54.72 and a strike rate of 75.58, which is constantly on the rise. Over 14 years of cricket, Rawal has ticked all the right boxes. While it is surprising that she earned her debut in no time, her run-scoring hunger has brought her to the international stage.
