”Jay Shah intervened’ – Pratika Rawal confirms she will receive Women’s World Cup winner’s medal

Indian women’s team opener Pratika Rawal delivered a stellar performance in the 2025 Women’s World Cup before being ruled out of the tournament’s knockout stage due to an injury sustained against Bangladesh in the group phase. Despite her absence, India created history by defeating South Africa Women by 52 runs in the final to clinch their first-ever World Cup title.

Since Rawal was replaced by Shafali Verma after her injury, she did not receive a winner’s medal as per ICC regulations, which state that only players in the final squad are eligible. However, reports now suggest that ICC President Jay Shah is working to ensure Rawal receives the medal she rightfully deserves, recognising her valuable contribution during the team’s victorious campaign.

Notably, Rawal was seen wearing a medal during the team’s visit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,. However, she later clarified that it was a support staff member’s medal and not her own.

Despite her setback, Rawal’s performance in the tournament was exceptional. She scored 308 runs, including a century and a half-century, showcasing her class on the world stage and cementing her place as one of the key architects of India’s historic World Cup triumph.

“I can’t express it enough. There’s no words. It’s not going to come out of my mouth. This flag on my shoulder means a lot to me. And you know, being here with my team, it’s just surreal. To be very honest, it was very difficult for me to sit down and watch the match because it’s actually very difficult. It’s very easy to play inside rather than watching from the outside. But seeing this energy, seeing this environment, it just gave me goosebumps. Whenever there was a wicket, whenever there was a sixer, you know, you can see the energy. It’s amazing,” Rawal said.