India have named attacking opening batter Shafali Verma to their squad for the remainder of the Women's ODI World Cup. The 21-year-old comes on as the official replacement for Pratika Rawal who was ruled out of the tournament on Monday (October 27).
Ihe ICC Technical committee approved India's request for a replacement once Rawal's exit was officially confirmed. The opening batter suffered a freak injury while fielding during the rain-affected league game against Bangladesh in Navi Mumbai on Sunday (October 26). With a twisted ankle that looked horrendous instantly, Rawal's fate was virtually decided as soon as she was taken off the field.
It is, however, a big opportunity for Verma who had been dropped from India's ODI squad after an extended run of poor scores in the 50-over format. That combined with the instant rise of Rawal as Smriti Mandhana's opening partner meant that Verma was sidelined even as she continued to be part of the team's T20 plans.
Verma's form in the shortest format has been exceptional in domestic cricket as well. She is currently the leading run getter in the Senior Women's T20 League with 341 runs for Haryana at a strike rate of 182, including three fifties. Therefore, the timing of her inclusion is apt with the opening batter high on confidence.
However, Verma has big shoes to fill, given Rawal's amazing consistency at the top of the order. Rawal has not only scored consistently but also combined wonderfully with Mandhana - the pair already has five century stands in 2025 and were one away from an all-time record. That, unfortunately, won't happen as Rawal is unlikely to feature till early 2026.
Verma last played an ODI in October 2024 and hasn't been part of the team's plans ever since. With a batting average of 23 and strike rate of 83, her numbers pale in comparison to her T20 statistics.