Pratika Rawal, India's latest opening partner for Smriti Mandhana, has made a highly commendable start to her ODI career. Could she end up displacing Shafali Verma as first-choice in the format?
In November, India made the decision to drop Shafali from their ODI squad for the tour of Australia, following a period of prolonged poor form. She did not make it back to the squad for the home series against West Indies, and is now not involved in the ongoing home series against Ireland.
Still only on the cusp of her 21st birthday, there is more than enough time for Shafali to turn around what has been an underwhelming 50-over career so far. She averages 23 after 29 matches in the format – not far off her T20I average of 25.6.
But despite this, it appeared that Shafali might still end up opening the innings with Smriti Mandhana at the World Cup later this year – even more so after the stand-ins initially failed to make an impact.
Priya Punia made three in the first ODI against Australia, before India tried pushing wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh up to open. She scored 54 and two in the remaining two games, but moving her from the middle-order still appears to be an extremely sub-optimal use of her talent as a finisher.
Enter Pratika Rawal.
A day before the squad for the West Indies series was announced, she put her name in the spotlight with a century from No.3 for Railways against Gujarat in the Inter State Women's One Day Competition. Add to that her prior strong List A record (1268 runs @ 52.8), and the selectors took a punt on the 24-year-old, calling her up for the West Indies series.
In her five international appearances thus far, Rawal has looked untroubled – and has displayed remarkable consistency. She scored 40 on debut in Vadodara, following it up with 76, her maiden ODI half-century just two days later. The last game against West Indies saw her dismissed for 18, but it was enough for her to continue at the top against Ireland, with Shafali still out.
In the first ODI, Rawal's 89 saw her play second fiddle to the significantly more aggressive Smriti Mandhana in the opening stand, but she anchored India's chase, taking them to within seven runs of victory when she was dismissed – winning Player of the Match for her effort. On Sunday, Rawal backed up that knock with her third fifty in five ODIs, 67, as India scored a team record-370 in the second ODI.
Pratika Rawal: Batting record in List A cricket
| Position | Inns | Runs | Avg |
| Opening | 19 | 842 | 56.1 |
| No.3 | 16 | 760 | 54.3 |
| No.4 | 2 | 56 | 56.0 |
| No.7 | 1 | 0 | - |
Her tally of half-centuries is just one lower than Shafali, who has played an extra 24 matches. But perhaps more importantly, Rawal's presence at the top of the order gives India the stability and assurance and Shafali has not yet displayed in the 50-over format. This has the knock-on effect of the side not needing that from Mandhana, leaving the left-hander to take up a more aggressive role.
Shafali Verma or Pratika Rawal for the World Cup?
It must be said that Rawal's start to international cricket has not come against genuine top-quality opposition. The ODI series against England in July, just ahead of the World Cup, is India's next engagement in ODI cricket. That will be a much sterner test of her credentials.
Of course, Shafali has been doing everything possible to get back into the team. Since being dropped, she has reeled off the following scores in domestic cricket: 139, 8, 50, 40, 25, 68, 197, 91, 95 and 87, in a brutal reminder of the talent she possesses.
An interesting six months awaits the Indian team. What do they go for: the surefire solidity of Pratika Rawal, or the elusive explosiveness of Shafali Verma?
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