NEW DELHI: India suffered a major setback in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign after uncapped Shreyanka Patil was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with an ankle injury, forcing the team management to bring in uncapped leg-spinner Prema Rawat as her replacement.Patil sustained the injury while fielding during India’s Group A clash against the Netherlands on Wednesday. The 23-year-old injured her right ankle in her first over and had to be stretchered off the field, ending her campaign prematurely.
An injury blow rocks the side led by Harmanpreet Kaur
The loss of Patil comes as a big blow for India, as the second player only recently returned to international cricket after recovering from a previous injury.Patil featured in India’s win over Pakistan earlier in the tournament and took economical figures of 0/17 from three overs. Her return has added balance to the bowling attack, making her latest injury particularly unfortunate for the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side.According to an ICC statement, Patil will no longer participate in the ongoing tournament after sustaining an ankle injury during the Netherlands match.
ICC approves Prem Rawat as replacement
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Technical Committee has approved Prem Rawat’s inclusion in the Indian squad following Patil’s withdrawal.“The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Technical Committee has approved Prema Rawat as a replacement for Shreyanka Patil in the Indian squad,” an ICC press release said.The statement added that Rawat was named after Patil was ruled out due to an injury sustained while playing against the Netherlands and that all substitutions require the approval of the tournament’s Technical Committee before being officially added to the squad.Rawat has already been to England as part of the India A squad and will now link up with the senior team till the end of the World Cup.
The uncapped spinner gets a senior call-up in India
The 24-year-old shot putter with a broken leg is yet to make her international debut but has impressed in domestic and development competitions.Rawat caught the eye with her performances in the Women’s Premier League and the Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament. Representing India A in the latter competition, she took eight wickets at an excellent average of 9.62.With Patil sidelined, Rawat now has a chance to make his mark on the biggest stage as India continue their quest for a maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title.
