By Trisha Ghosal
India’s preparations for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 suffered a major setback on Thursday when fast bowler Arundhati Reddy was wheelchaired off the field during the warm-up game against England in Bengaluru.
The incident occurred in Reddy’s follow-through after she had already made an impact with the ball. Having dismissed opener Amy Jones, the pacer looked set to pouch a return catch from Heather Knight. Instead, she landed awkwardly on her left leg and collapsed in visible pain.
Medical staff rushed in immediately. After initial attempts to assist her off the field proved unsuccessful, a wheelchair was brought on to take her away for further assessment. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to provide clarity on the severity of the injury or her availability for the tournament, which begins on September 30 in Guwahati.
The setback came in a match where India had otherwise begun brightly. Put in to field first, Renuka Singh Thakur struck in the opening over, dismissing Tammy Beaumont for a duck. England regained control through a steady stand between Jones and Knight before rain interrupted play briefly. After resumption, India struck again, with Reddy removing Jones before her injury, to leave England at 112 for three after 22 overs.
With the World Cup just days away, India will be hoping Reddy’s injury is not as serious as feared, given the crucial role she plays in their pace attack.
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