Pratika Rawal's arc of redemption: From going unsold in WPL 2025 auction to getting own medal for World Cup performance

India women's opener Pratika Rawal was unlucky to miss out on the semis and final of the Women's World Cup 2025. She had suffered an injury in India's last league stage match against Bangladesh which was washed out. Before being injured, Pratika had scored 308 runs in six innings - second highest for India behind Smriti Mandhana (434) and fourth overall in the tournament. After the title win, she joined the team for the celebration but did not get a medal as she was ruled out of the squad. The batter, however, got a medal, thanks to ICC chairman Jay Shah. It completed a remarkable journey for Pratika from being going unsold before WPL 2025 to getting a special World Cup medal.

Pratika Rawal's journey - From going unsold in WPL to getting own medal for WC performance

Pratika was one of many players who went unsold in WPL auction ahead of the 2025 edition won by Mumbai Indians - the second title for the franchise. She wasn't picked despite having a base price of only INR 10 lakh ($112,000).

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Pratika had made her debut in December 2024 - days after going unsold in the WPL auction and scored 40 runs. A day after her debut match, she scored her first fifty - 76. Her first century came in her sixth WODI and she had already scored three fifties before that. Her performance saw Shafali Verma going out of the team as Pratika became opening partner of Mandhana.

Before the World Cup, Rawal had scored 802 runs in 18 matches with six fifties and a hundred at an average of 47. In World Cup, she scored 122 runs against New Zealand and helped India seal the semis berth.

Rawal, if fit, would definitely be a star player at the upcoming WPL mega auction scheduled to take place on November 27 later this month.