Rodrigues out of Asia Cup, Asian Games; Rawal named in squad

Jemimah Rodrigues has been ruled out of the upcoming Women’s T20 Asia Cup and the Asian Games after suffering a serious hamstring injury.

The 25-year-old batter sustained a high-grade tear to her right hamstring while playing for Southern Brave in The Hundred on August 3. A medical assessment at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru confirmed the extent of the injury, ruling Rodrigues out of both major tournaments.

Pratika Rawal replaces Rodrigues in India’s Women’s Asia Cup squad. It is Rawal’s maiden call-up to the T20I side, though she has previously represented India in ODIs.

Rawal returns to the national setup after recovering from a knee injury that kept her out of the recent England Test. She was hurt while fielding for India A and required stitches.

Rodrigues’ absence leaves India without an experienced middle-order batter for the Asia Cup and Asian Games. The BCCI has not yet announced her replacement for the Asian Games.

Rawal last played a T20 match in the Challenger Trophy in November 2024, scoring 142 runs at a strike rate of 111.81. She has yet to feature in the Women’s Premier League after missing last season with an ankle injury suffered during the ODI World Cup. India selected Rawal for the Asia Cup ahead of Anushka Sharma and Harleen Deol, both of whom have previously played T20Is for India.

Several other changes have been made from the side that contested the T20 World Cup. Shreyanka Patil remains unavailable with an ankle ligament injury, while legspinner Prema Rawat retains her place as her replacement. Wicketkeeper G Kamalini also comes into the group, replacing Yastika Bhatia for the Asian Games and serving as back-up to Richa Ghosh.

Pakistan, Thailand, and Hong Kong join India in the Asia Cup group. The tournament begins in the UAE on August 28, with India opening against Thailand in Dubai on August 30 before meeting Pakistan on September 5.

The top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals. Dubai International Cricket Stadium will host the final on September 13.

Rodrigues will be missed in the India-Pakistan fixture, where her middle-order experience has often been crucial. India will need other batters to handle the pressure moments in their key matches.

Nagoya hosts the Asian Games from September 17 to October 3, with India entering as the top-seeded team in the women’s T20 competition. India are set to play Japan in the quarter-final and could face either Bangladesh or Hong Kong, China in a semi-final. Under the tournament structure, India and Pakistan can meet only in the gold-medal match or the bronze-medal play-off, both scheduled for September 22.

The BCCI has yet to name Rodrigues’ replacement for the Asian Games.

The confirmed India squad for the Women’s T20 Asia Cup is as follows: