Shreyanka Patil Ruled Out of Women's T20 World Cup 2026 as India Names Prema Rawat Replacement
India have suffered a major setback after Shreyanka Patil was ruled out of the Women's T20 World Cup 2026 with an ankle injury. Rising leg-spinner Prema Rawat has been drafted into the squad ahead of crucial matches.
June 19, 2026: India have suffered a major setback in their ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, with off-spinner Shreyanka Patil being ruled out of the tournament due to an ankle injury.
Patil sustained the injury during India's Group A match against the Netherlands on Wednesday. The 22-year-old twisted her ankle while fielding during her very first over and had to be stretchered off the field. Medical assessments later confirmed that she had suffered an ankle ligament injury, ending her participation in the tournament.
The injury comes as a disappointment for Patil, who had only recently returned to international cricket after recovering from an earlier setback. She featured in India's opening win against Pakistan, finishing with figures of 0/17 from three overs.
Prema Rawat Named as Replacement
The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 has approved leg-spinner Prema Rawat as Patil's replacement in the Indian squad.
Rawat was already in England as part of the India A squad and is expected to join the national team immediately. Although she is yet to make her international debut, the 24-year-old has impressed with her performances in domestic cricket and age-group tournaments.
She played a key role in India's title-winning campaign at the Women's Asia Cup Rising Stars 2026, picking up eight wickets in five matches. In the final, she produced a match-winning spell of 3/12 from four overs while defending a modest total of 134.
Shreyanka Out | Prema In
— IndiaSportsHub (@IndiaSportsHub) June 19, 2026
Squad Update for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026
A big change in India’s squad as Shreyanka Patil has been ruled out due to injury. Wishing her a speedy recovery and a strong comeback. 💙
Meanwhile, Prema Rawat has been named as her replacement and… pic.twitter.com/nfV5KHy3Sn
Rawat was also the joint-highest wicket-taker during India A's tour of Australia last year, claiming seven wickets in three T20 matches.
From Hockey Dreams to Cricket Success
Prema's journey to the national setup has been an inspiring one. Growing up in Uttarakhand, she was initially torn between pursuing hockey and cricket. Eventually, she chose cricket and worked her way through the domestic ranks.
Her performances earned her a contract with the Women's Premier League side Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who signed her for ₹1.2 crore. She continued to impress with the franchise and later secured a place in the India A squad for the Women's Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament.
Now, with a spot in India's World Cup squad, Rawat has a golden opportunity to make her mark on the biggest stage.
India Remain on Course Despite Injury Blow
Despite losing Patil, India continued their dominant run in the tournament. Harmanpreet Kaur's side began their campaign with a 64-run victory over Pakistan before posting a tournament-record 209/5 against the Netherlands and securing a massive 95-run win.
The victories have placed India at the top of Group A, but tougher challenges lie ahead. The Women in Blue will face South Africa on June 21 in a crucial contest that could have a major impact on the semi-final race.
India also have matches remaining against Bangladesh and Australia. To strengthen their chances of reaching the last four, victories against either South Africa or Australia could prove decisive in what is shaping up to be a highly competitive group.
