Pratika Rawal made her T20I debut for India in the Women’s Asia Cup opener against Thailand, getting her opportunity after being added to the squad as a replacement for the injured Jemimah Rodrigues. The right-hander made an immediate impact, scoring a brisk 22 off 18 balls, including two fours and a six, before Suleeporn Laomi bowled her with one that stayed low.The right-hander has not played a T20 match since 2024. She was also part of the UP Warriorz squad for the 2026 Women’s Premier League but did not feature as she continued her recovery from injury.Rawal has earned her T20I opportunity on the back of an impressive start to her ODI career. In 27 ODIs, she has scored 1,189 runs in 26 innings at an average of 47.56 and a strike rate of 82.34. Her ODI record includes two centuries and eight fifties, with a best of 154. She has also struck 141 fours and 10 sixes in the format, underlining her ability to build substantial innings while maintaining a healthy scoring rate.Her rise continued during the 2025 ODI World Cup, where she scored her maiden World Cup century against New Zealand. She also became the joint-fastest woman to reach 1,000 ODI runs, achieving the feat in 23 innings.
Deepti Sharma Reaches 150 T20Is
The match was also a landmark occasion for Deepti Sharma, who became only the third Indian woman after Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana to feature in 150 T20Is.
India vs Thailand teams for Asia Cup
India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Bharti Fulmali, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma, Kranti Gaud.Thailand: Natthakan Chantham, Nannapat Koncharoenkai (wk), Chanida Sutthiruang, Suleeporn Laomi, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Thipatcha Putthawong (c), Phannita Maya, Aphisara Suwanchonrathi, Sunida Chaturongrattana, Nannaphat Chaihan, Naomi Hamilton.
