The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed Shafali Verma as a replacement for the injured Pratika Rawal in India’s World Cup squad, just days before the team’s semifinal clash against Australia in Navi Mumbai.

Rawal suffered a serious injury after slipping near the boundary line during India’s rain-affected league match against Bangladesh. The fall ruled her out of the remainder of the tournament — a major setback for India, as she has been one of the team’s most consistent performers since her debut late last year.

According to ICC rules, any player change must be approved by the Event Technical Committee before the new player is officially added to the squad.

Shafali Verma’s Strong Domestic Form

Verma, currently leading the run charts in the Senior Women’s T20 League, received the call-up while playing for Haryana in Surat. She has scored 341 runs in seven innings, including a century and two half-centuries, averaging 56.83 with an impressive strike rate of 182.35.

The 21-year-old opener, who previously partnered Smriti Mandhana at the top of India’s batting order, was dropped last year due to inconsistency but has since made a strong comeback in domestic cricket.

Earlier this month, Shafali also played for India A in a World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand, where she smashed 70 off 49 balls, helping her side to a four-wicket win under the DLS method.

She is expected to join the national squad ahead of Tuesday’s training session in Navi Mumbai, as India prepares for their high-stakes semifinal clash later this week.

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