Young Indian women's cricketer, Pratika Rawal, has created history with a stellar performance against South Africa in a triangular series. She has become the fastest woman cricketer to score 500 runs.
Pratika Rawal's Record: Young Indian women's cricketer Pratika Rawal has created a new milestone with her outstanding performance. In the second match of the triangular series (IND-W vs SA-W) on Tuesday, she played a magnificent 78-run innings against South Africa. This achievement made her the fastest woman cricketer to reach 500 runs in Women's ODI cricket history, achieving this feat in just eight innings – a record never before seen.
Five Consecutive Half-Centuries: A Symbol of Consistency
Pratika Rawal's form wasn't limited to just scoring runs; she also became only the second Indian woman cricketer to score five consecutive half-centuries. Previously, this feat was achieved only by Mithali Raj. Pratika's consistency played a crucial role in keeping the Indian team at the top. In this historic match, Pratika, along with opening partner Smriti Mandhana, put on an 83-run partnership for the first wicket.
Smriti scored 36 runs before being caught out off Anneke Bosch's bowling. Following this, Pratika, along with Harleen Deol, added a 68-run partnership, strengthening the team's position.
Pratika Rawal's Brilliant Innings
In this match against South Africa, Pratika Rawal scored 78 runs off 91 balls, hitting seven fours and one six. Her strike rate was 85.71, and she played attractive shots all around the wicket. She was eventually bowled by Nonkululeko Mlaba, but by then, she had already laid a b foundation for the team.
Before this triangular series, Pratika Rawal had scored three consecutive half-centuries in three matches against the Ireland women's team. She scored 89, 67, and 154 runs respectively. Her 154-run innings in the match played on January 15, 2025, proved to be her best ODI innings to date. In that match, she achieved this score in just 122 balls, leading the Indian team to a significant victory.
A Superstar in Her First Series
Pratika Rawal started her ODI career earlier this year and surprised everyone by scoring 500 runs in just eight innings. Her batting technique, mental balance, and ability to score runs quickly have made her a rising star. She also scored an unbeaten 50 in the first match of this triangular series and was named 'Player of the Match'.
Former cricketers and experts are highly impressed by Pratika's performance. Former India captain Anjum Chopra said, "A batter like Pratika secures the future of Indian cricket. Her thinking, skills, and fighting spirit are taking her to a different level."
