Shriyanka Patel (Image: ICC)
New Delhi: India suffered a major setback in their 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign after Shriyanka Patel was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament with an ankle injury, forcing the team management to bring in off-spinner Prima Rawat as her replacement.Patel suffered the injury while participating in India’s Group A match against the Netherlands on Wednesday. The 23-year-old injured her right ankle in her first match and had to be taken off the field, ending her campaign prematurely.
An injury hit the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side
The loss of Patel comes as a huge blow for India, as the off-spinner only recently returned to international cricket after recovering from an earlier injury setback.Patel was involved in India’s win over Pakistan earlier in the tournament and bowled an economical spell 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 team.According to a statement by the International Criminal Court, Patel will not participate again in the ongoing tournament after suffering an ankle injury during the Netherlands match.
ICC approves Prema Rawat as replacement
The event’s technical committee for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 has approved Prema Rawat’s inclusion in the Indian team after Patel’s withdrawal.“The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Event Technical Committee has approved Prema Rawat as Shriyanka Patel’s replacement in the India squad,” an ICC media statement said.The statement added that Rawat was named after Patel was ruled out due to the injury she sustained while playing against the Netherlands and that all substitutes require approval from the tournament’s technical committee before being officially added to the squad.Rawat was already in England as part of the India A squad and will now join the first team for the remainder of the World Cup.
Uncapped Spinner gets a big call-up from India
The 24-year-old, who suffers from a broken leg, is yet to make her international debut but has impressed in local and development competitions.Rawat caught attention with her performances in the Women’s Premier League and Rising Stars in the Women’s Asia Cup. Representing India A in the last competition, she took eight wickets at an impressive average of 9.62.With Patel sidelined, Rawat now has a chance to make her mark on the biggest stage as India continue their quest for a maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title.