In the rapidly growing sphere of Indian women’s cricket, 24-year-old Pratika Rawal has emerged as a player to watch. Combining her academic background in psychology with a love for cricket, Pratika has carved a unique niche for herself.
Her standout performances with scores of 40, 76 and 18 in the recently concluded three match ODI series against the West Indies, where she partnered the charismatic Smriti Mandhana at the top, have further solidified her place as a reliable opener for the national team.
Pratika’s interest in psychology began in class 9 when she grew curious about human behavior. This passion has played a significant role in her cricketing journey, providing her with the tools to remain mentally strong in high-pressure situations.
She explains how this academic foundation aids her on-field performance, “I wanted to study about that and when I started studying about it, I was very keen on understanding how we mentally process on the field and off the field. And, it has helped me a lot in cricket as well.”
For Pratika, self-affirmation is key to her preparation, as she elaborates, “When I’m on the field before a match there is a lot of positive self-talk, what all I have to do in the present and in future. Like, when I’m batting then also, I see myself ‘you know you are the best, you can do this’. So, that affirmation needs to be there.”
A former student of Modern School, Barakhamba, Pratika excelled both in academics and cricket. Her exceptional performance in her CBSE Class 12 exams in 2019 saw her achieve an aggregate of 92.5%, with scores like 93 in English and Psychology, 89 in Political Science, 95 in Economics, and 88 in Physical Education.
Reflecting on how her family supported her dual ambitions, she shares, “My family has always pushed me to be excellent in academics, although I just couldn’t deny my love and passion for cricket… so that’s what I wanted to do my whole life. I actually dropped my U19 when I was in 12th standard. They actually had a lot of bets on me. If you score well we’ll buy you a bat or maybe, you know, take you out for lunch or maybe a vacation.”
Behind every successful athlete is a guiding mentor, and for Pratika, that has been Deepti Dhyani, one of the leading names in Delhi cricket. Deepti has helped shape Pratika’s game and provided her with crucial guidance on fitness, diet, and emotional resilience.
Pratika acknowledges her coach’s significant impact, “When I needed professional help, I turned to Deepti Dhyani ma’am. That’s my coach. She guided me in a lot of things in terms of my diet, my fitness and how you can actually handle things mentally as well as emotionally.”
Pratika’s journey in cricket began in the fourth standard, inspired by her father, Pradeep Rawal, a BCCI-certified Level I umpire. Alongside cricket, she displayed exceptional athleticism in basketball, winning a gold medal at the 64th School National Games in January 2019.
Despite excelling in multiple fields, cricket remained her ultimate passion. Her rise in domestic cricket was marked by her captaincy of the Delhi U-23 team in 2023, where she led the side to the T20 Trophy final. She contributed significantly with the bat, scoring 182 runs in nine matches at an average of 26 and a strike rate of 85.94.
Pratika’s performances in domestic competitions have consistently caught the selectors’ attention. In the Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy in January 2024, she stood out as the second-highest run-scorer with 411 runs from eight matches at a phenomenal average of 68.50.
Now part of the Indian squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Ireland in Rajkot, Pratika is ready to take her game to new heights.
(Quotes sourced from video shared by BCCI Women on X)
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