India have suffered a big setback at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, with off-spinner Shreyanka Patil ruled out of the rest of the tournament because of an ankle injury. The injury, which happened during India’s Group A match against Netherlands Women at Headingley on June 17, has ended Patil’s campaign just days after it started.
Patil picked up the injury while fielding during the Netherlands innings. The incident took place in the fifth over of the chase and immediately caused concern in the Indian camp. She appeared to twist her right ankle while trying to stop the ball and was seen in clear pain on the field.
Medical staff rushed onto the ground to check her condition. Patil was unable to put any weight on her injured ankle and received treatment on the field. Her ankle was strapped before she was eventually carried off on a stretcher, raising fears that the injury could be serious.
Those fears were confirmed on June 18 when it was announced that Patil would take no further part in the tournament. The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup approved Prema Rawat as her replacement in the India squad.
Rawat was already in England as part of the India A squad and will now join the senior team for the rest of the competition. The 24-year-old leg-spinner is yet to make her international debut, but she has impressed selectors with her performances in domestic and development cricket over the last year.
She had a strong season in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and also performed well in the Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament. Playing for India A in that competition, Rawat took eight wickets at an average of 9.62 and showed her ability to pick up wickets regularly while keeping the scoring rate low.
Her steady performances earned praise from the selectors, and she now has the chance to be part of India’s World Cup campaign at an important stage of the tournament.
The news is especially disappointing for Patil, who had only recently returned to international cricket after recovering from an earlier injury. She worked hard to get back to full fitness and made her return earlier this year.
At the World Cup, Patil played in India’s opening win over Pakistan, where she bowled three overs and finished with figures of 0/17. Although she did not take a wicket, she helped keep the scoring rate under control during an important part of the innings.
India will now hope Rawat can settle quickly into the squad as they prepare for the next stage of the tournament. The team has started strongly, winning both of their opening matches to move to the top of Group A.
Despite the disappointment of losing Patil, India still have plenty of bowling choices and will be confident of continuing their good form. However, replacing a player of Patil’s quality and experience will not be easy as the tournament moves into its most important stage.
Patil’s injury is unfortunate not only for the team but also for the player herself, who had worked hard to return after previous fitness problems. While her World Cup journey has ended earlier than expected, India will hope she recovers quickly and returns to action soon. For now, the focus shifts to Rawat, who has earned a chance to step onto the biggest stage and help India continue their strong run in the competition.
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