Trisha Ghosal in Indore
It’s a pleasant morning in Indore, but the conversation around Indian cricket is anything but. The chatter on social media, fuelled by half-truths and full-blown assumptions, has turned what should be a healthy cricketing debate into an unpleasant controversy. At the centre of it all, Pratika Rawal. The young opener’s strike-rate and her father’s position as a BCCI umpire have somehow become topics of national scrutiny. Let’s separate the noise from the numbers.
For starters, the “nepotism” claim collapses under the weight of cold, hard data. In 21 ODI innings, Pratika has scored 982 runs at an average of 49.10 with a strike-rate of 82.38. She has already registered seven fifties and a century, a mammoth 154. Compare that to Shafali Verma, who has played 29 ODI innings for 644 runs, averaging 23 with a strike-rate of 83.20, and no centuries to her name. Pratika’s numbers aren’t just better, they’re significantly better.
The common counterargument? “But she scored her century against Ireland.” True, but so have Smriti Mandhana and others. Runs don’t become meaningless because of the opposition. Every run still has to be earned ball by ball. If we’re going to celebrate Mandhana’s centuries against similar teams, then fairness demands the same standard for Pratika.
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More telling, however, is the impact Pratika has had on her opening partner. When Mandhana opened with Shafali between 2021 and 2024, the duo averaged 37.20, with six fifty-plus partnerships and a single century stand. With Pratika, in just 21 innings, Mandhana’s numbers have soared, 1,574 partnership runs at an average of 74.95, including eight fifty-plus and six century stands. Mandhana’s own strike-rate has jumped from 84.85 to 109.10, her average from 48.96 to 57.61. That’s not coincidence; that’s chemistry.
Pratika’s presence has brought calm at the top. She doesn’t blaze through the Powerplay; she builds. Her batting rhythm grows with time, her innings expand with patience. And while her strike-rate once she’s settled has room for improvement, it’s the kind of technical and tactical refinement players make with experience, not a reason to discard them.
On the other hand, Shafali, once hailed as India’s next big thing, has struggled to translate promise into performance. Across formats, her brilliance flashes in bursts but fades just as quickly. Her domestic record too has been inconsistent, one century, one 70 and then surrounded by low scores. The prodigy has had chances, plenty of them, and selectors can’t be faulted for rewarding current performance over potential.
Pratika’s selection, therefore, isn’t a gift. It’s a reward for consistency, composure, and contribution. To suggest otherwise, to drag her family into the debate, is both unfair and unnecessary. The game’s beauty lies in its meritocracy, a truth supported by Pratika’s stats, partnerships, and presence at the crease.
There’s a difference between questioning and trolling. The former fuels better cricket; the latter poisons it. Fans have every right to ask about dot balls, strike-rates, and intent – those are valid cricketing conversations. But personal attacks based on family ties belong nowhere near a World Cup.
As India prepare for their next challenge against England, what they need is focus and support, not noise. Pratika Rawal has earned her place in this side, not through privilege, but through performance. And if the numbers are anything to go by, she’s only just begun.
