India have suffered a major setback ahead of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup and Asian Games, with Jemimah Rodrigues ruled out of both tournaments after suffering a high-grade tear in her right hamstring. The injury occurred while she was playing for Southern Brave against Welsh Fire in The Hundred in England on August 3, and a subsequent assessment at the BCCI Centre of Excellence confirmed the severity of the problem.
The Women’s Selection Committee has announced Rodrigues’ replacement for the Asia Cup, however, the BCCI is yet to announce a replacement for Rodrigues in India’s Asian Games squad.
Rodrigues’ absence is a significant blow for India, given her experience and ability to play an important role in the middle order. Her injury also comes at an unfortunate time, with India preparing for two major multi-nation assignments in quick succession.
Star opener returns to the squad
Pratika Rawal has been recalled as replacement of Rodrigues for Asia Cup. Her selection marks a return to India’s setup after she recovered from the injury that kept her out of the Lord’s Test against England last month. She had been scheduled to join Warwickshire for the One-Day Cup before receiving the T20I call-up.
The batter has not played a T20 match since the Challenger Trophy in November 2024, where she accumulated 142 runs at a strike rate of 111.81. Despite her limited recent T20 exposure, the selectors have opted for Rawal ahead of Anushka Sharma and Harleen Deol, both of whom have previously represented India in T20Is.
Rawal has also had a difficult road back to competitive cricket. An ankle injury suffered during last year’s ODI World Cup prevented her from making her Women’s Premier League debut for UP Warriorz. She later completed her rehabilitation and returned to the national setup.
Shreyanka Patil remains unavailable
India’s squad also reflects the continued absence of Shreyanka Patil, who is recovering from an ankle ligament injury. Leg-spinner Prema Rawat, who replaced Patil during the T20 World Cup, retains her place in the squad. G Kamalini has also been included after initially being selected for the Asian Games as the replacement for Yastika Bhatia. The young wicketkeeper-batter will provide another option alongside Richa Ghosh behind the stumps.
India will begin their Asia Cup campaign against Thailand on August 30, with Pakistan and Hong Kong also placed in their group. The eight-team tournament begins on August 28 and the final is scheduled for September 13. India will face Pakistan on September 5, with all matches set to take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
India’s squad for the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026
Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), G Kamalini (wicketkeeper), Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
