India Women have made a change to their squad for the upcoming one-off Test against England after opener Pratika Rawal was ruled out because of injury. The Women’s Selection Committee has named Priya Punia as her replacement for the match, which will be played at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground.
Pratika suffered a cut around her right knee while representing India A during the second One-Day match against England A in Taunton. Although the injury is not considered serious, she will not recover in time to be available for the Test match. As a result, she has officially been ruled out of India’s squad.
Her absence comes as a disappointment because the young batter had been expected to play an important role at the top of India’s batting order. Pratika has impressed with her technique and confidence in recent months, and the Lord’s Test would have been another big opportunity in her growing international career.
The selectors have turned to Priya Punia, who earned her place after an outstanding performance for India A during the recently completed three-match One-Day series against England A.
Priya finished as the leading run-scorer in the series with 171 runs from three matches. Her consistent batting helped India A secure an impressive 2-1 series victory against the hosts. She played important innings throughout the series, showing excellent patience and control against the English bowling attack.
The experienced left-handed batter has represented India in international cricket before and brings valuable experience to the squad. She is known for her calm approach, solid defence and ability to build long innings, qualities that are especially important in the Test format.
Her recent performances for India A showed that she is in excellent form. She handled different match situations well, built partnerships and provided strong starts for her team. Those performances convinced the selectors that she was the right player to replace the injured Pratika.
The one-off Test against England will be an important challenge for India. Playing at Lord’s is a dream for every cricketer, and India will be hoping to produce another strong performance in the longest format of the game.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the side, while vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is expected to play a key role at the top of the batting order. India also have experienced players like Shafali Varma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Harleen Deol, Renuka Thakur and Sneh Rana in the squad.
The wicketkeeping responsibilities will be shared by Richa Ghosh and Yastika Bhatia. India’s bowling attack includes young talents Sree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare and Nandni Sharma, giving the visitors a good mix of experience and youth.
Although losing Pratika is unfortunate, Priya Punia’s selection gives India another reliable batting option. Her performances during the India A tour proved that she is ready for bigger opportunities, and she will now look to carry that form into the senior team if she gets a chance in the playing XI.
India Women’s Test Squad for England 2026:
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Varma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia (WK), Nandni Sharma, Harleen Deol, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Sneh Rana, Priya Punia
India will now focus on preparing for the prestigious Test at Lord’s, hoping Priya continues her impressive batting form while wishing Pratika Rawal a quick recovery and a speedy return to international cricket. The team will be aiming to make the most of this important opportunity against England and continue building confidence in the longest format ahead.
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