India’s dynamic middle-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues has been ruled out of the upcoming 6th edition of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 in the UAE, as well as the Asian Games starting 17th September in Japan, after sustaining a high-grade right hamstring tear.
The BCCI medical team confirmed the injury following a clinical assessment at its Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, ending her tournament hopes just as the Asia Cup, hosted by the UAE for the first time, approaches its 28 August start. In her place, right-hander Pratika Rawal has been named in India’s 15-member squad for the Asia Cup, stepping in from her scheduled stint with Warwickshire Bears in the remainder of the Women’s One Day Cup 2026.
Jemimah Rodrigues suffered the injury on 3rd August while representing Southern Brave in the ongoing 6th edition of The Hundred in England. She had been in productive form, scoring 143 runs across six innings at an average of 35.75 and a strike rate of 131.19, underlining her value as a finisher in the middle order. Following her return to India, the BCCI medical panel evaluated her at the national high-performance centre in Bengaluru and diagnosed a high-grade hamstring tear, a severity that typically requires extended rehabilitation and rules out participation in back-to-back multi-team tournaments.
The 2026 ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup marks the sixth edition of the tournament, with the inaugural edition played in 2012. The UAE is hosting the Women’s T20 Asia Cup for the first time, with eight teams split into two groups: Group A features Hong Kong, India, Thailand and Pakistan; Group B comprises Sri Lanka, UAE, Indonesia and Bangladesh. India, led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, won the first edition in 2012 and successfully defended the title in 2016. Bangladesh claimed their maiden Asia Cup crown in 2018, India reclaimed the trophy in 2022, and Chamari Athapaththu-led Sri Lanka lifted their first title in the 2024 edition.
The Women’s Selection Committee moved quickly to name Pratika Rawal as Rodrigues’s replacement for the Asia Cup. Rawal, a technically sound batter with experience in domestic one-day and T20 circuits, was set to feature for Warwickshire Bears in the remainder of the Women’s Metro Bank One Day Cup 2026 before the call-up. Her inclusion gives India additional depth in the top order and preserves the balance of a squad built around power-hitting and spin-friendly conditions expected in the UAE.
India’s Updated Women’s Asia Cup Squad
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), G. Kamalini (WK), Arundhati Reddy, Prema Rawat, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani, Renuka Thakur, Nandni Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Pratika Rawal
Rodrigues’s absence removes a versatile option who can anchor or accelerate depending on the phase of the innings, a role that has often bridged India’s top order and finishers in T20 cricket. Rawal’s promotion places a premium on adaptability in the middle overs, especially against quality spin from Pakistan and Thailand. In group-stage fixtures. With India’s campaign beginning on 30th August against Thailand, the team management will now look to integrate Rawal swiftly into match scenarios that replicate pressure situations, ensuring the batting unit retains its flexibility despite the injury setback.
The BCCI’s official communication, signed by Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia on 14th August 2026, confirmed both the injury diagnosis and the squad revision, closing the door on Rodrigues’s participation in two marquee events while opening a fresh opportunity for Rawal on the continental stage.
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