India marched into the semifinals of the ICC Women’s World Cup in dominant fashion, defeating New Zealand by 53 runs (DLS method). Pratika Rawal, who notched up her maiden World Cup century, a classy 122 off 134 balls, leading India’s charge alongside Smriti Mandhana in a record 212-run partnership, the highest for India in Women’s World Cups.
Speaking after the match, a composed yet emotional Pratika shared her thoughts on the team’s belief and her own journey to this milestone.
“We were having this discussion to believe in ourselves, that we can win the match anytime, at any moment. We have those kinds of players, those match-winners who can score big, who can take a lot of wickets, so I’m very happy that it all worked out for us today, and I just hope that it continues,” she said.
The century, though elegant and composed, came after intense preparation. On the dream start she has had to international cricket, becoming the joint-fastest to 1000 ODI runs, she highlighted the intense practice behind.
“I assure you I have worked very hard for that. I’ve put in a lot of practice sessions and had a lot of talk with the coaches as well. It may seem easy, but I know when I bat out there, there are a lot of challenges, I’m very happy with the way I’m progressing right now” she reflected.
Pratika’s hundred not only secured India’s win but also etched her name in record books; she became the joint-fastest Indian woman to reach 1000 ODI runs, matching a record previously held by Lindsay Reeler. Yet, personal milestones are not what drive her.
“The environment in the dressing room is amazing. The kind of support that I get from my teammates and coaches is commendable. It’s because of them that I’m able to express myself freely on the ground,” she said. “I genuinely got to know about the milestone only after I came off the field. I don’t look at milestones; I love to win matches for the team and that’s what I do.”
Asked about handling pressure, especially with talk around strike rates and expectations in a home World Cup, Pratika remained grounded.
“We have been playing amazing cricket since we started the tournament. We had different match winners, Deepti (Sharma) Di, Aman (Amanjot Kaur) helped us out. Unfortunately, we lost the three matches, but we played brilliantly in those matches as well, so it was new for us, but very happy that we all came together and won the match for our country,” she explained.
“Regarding the strike rate, there are certain templates I like to play on. I’ve had a lot of discussions with the coaches and had N number of talks with how I can progress with my game, my contribution to the team, I just try to contribute whatever is best for the team.”
The partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues, who was promoted to No. 3, was crucial in India’s innings, and Pratika praised her teammate’s effort. “Jemimah did an amazing job today. She got those runs which we needed the most. She’s the home girl, played a lot of cricket here, she knows everything around here,” she said.
Pratika also provided an update on Richa Ghosh, who injured her finger while keeping.
“Richa is absolutely fine. Unfortunately, she got her finger injured during the match. It’s not that serious, it was an on-field injury. Regarding her practice session, she is perfectly fine, she is enjoying her batting.”
For Pratika, the day was made even more special by her father’s presence in the stands. “My dad has come for every international game I’ve played. The support from his side has been amazing. It feels great to score a century in front of him, winning matches for India, playing in that blue jersey, has always been the dream for him and me as well. It’s actually great and I’m very happy that it happened today,” she smiled.
The innings didn’t come without challenges; she admitted her start was tentative.
“Initially, I was struggling to middle the ball, but I’m glad I kept my head down and focused on everything that come my way. With Smriti (Mandhana) di, it ofcourse makes my job easier; whatever calculations we do out in the middle… areas to target and which bowlers to target, it’s an amazing partnership,” she explained.
India’s win over New Zealand not only cements their dominance in the group stage but also showcases the maturity and hunger of a young team led by calm determination.
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