Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Who is Prema Rawat? Injured Shreyanka Patil's Replacement in the India Squad

Shreyanka Patil has been ruled out of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 due to an ankle injury. India named uncapped leg-spinner Prema Rawat as her replacement. A former hockey player, she earned the call-up through strong domestic and India A form.

Team India has been dealt with a major blow ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Group A match against South Africa, as the spin–bowling all–rounder Shreyanka Patil was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to an ankle injury on Friday, June 19.

Patil sustained an injury to her ankle during the match against the Netherlands in Leeds on Wednesday, June 17. The 23-year-old twisted her right ankle when attempting a sharp stop in her follow-through. Shreyanka was struggling to put weight on her leg before he was stretchered off the field in pain.

Her teammates and India dugout were visibly anxious and concerned as the medical staff rushed to attend to her immediately. Shreyanka Patil’s ankle injury prevented her from further participation in the match. 

Prema Rawat Comes in as Shreyanka Patil’s Replacement

Ahead of India’s remaining fixtures, Shreyanka Patil was officially ruled out of the tournament, and the Women’s Selection Committee named uncapped leg-spinner Prema Rawat as her like-for-like spin-bowling replacement for the remainder of the marquee event.

It was earlier reported that Shreyanka would be ruled out of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 after sustaining a ligament injury to her ankle. With crucial clashes ahead, especially against South Africa and Australia, the BCCI selectors had to act swiftly to name a replacement who could provide similar balance and spin-bowling strength.

The selection committee picked Prema Rawat as the ideal candidate to replace Shreyanka Patil in the squad. She was in contention alongside Anushka Sharma, Vaishnavi Sharma, Minu Manni, and Sneh Rana, but the selectors ultimately chose Rawat, who was part of the India A squad for the upcoming T20 series against England A.

🚨 News 🚨

Prema Rawat replaces the injured Shreyanka Patil in #TeamIndia's squad at ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026.

Following Prema's inclusion in the squad, Niki Prasad has been added to the India A T20 squad and Minnu Mani has been added to the India A One-Day squad.

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— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) June 19, 2026

With India’s spin-bowling unit including Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, and Shree Charani, along with Shafali Verma as a part-time spinner, Prema Rawat brings a dynamic wrist-spin dimension to the bowling attack, along with handy lower-order batting ability.

Since her inclusion in the playing XI remains uncertain, as Radha Yadav is already part of the India squad, Rawat will likely serve as a vital backup option in the spin department, waiting in the wings to seize any opportunity that comes her way.

Who is Prema Rawat?

Prema Rawat was born on November 12, 2001. She was initially a dedicated hockey player, having transitioned to professional cricket after initially showing immense promise as a state-level hockey player in her early teens.

Hailing from a remote village in the Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand, Rawat’s decision to switch from hockey to cricket stemmed from a lack of proper local facilities and professional avenues in hockey, coupled with her family’s encouragement to pursue the sport she grew up watching and playing with her brother.

Rawat’s first career breakthrough came when she finished as the leading wicket-taker in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy 2025, picking 16 wickets at an economy rate of 5.55 in 10 matches. The performance resulted in her receiving her first-ever Women’s Premier League (WPL) contract when Royal Challengers Bengaluru signed her for INR 1.2 crore after an intense bidding war.

Rawat was then retained by the franchise for INR 20 lakh ahead of the WPL 2026. The 24-year-old was fast-tracked into India A setup as part of developmental tours, where she consistently delivered standout performances. One such performance came in the Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars last year, where she picked 8 wickets at an average of 9.62 and an economy rate of 4..27 in five matches.

Prema Rawat was also the joint-highest wicket-taker in India A’s Tour of Australia, picking seven wickets in three T20 matches. Now, the youngster finds herself thrust onto the grandest stage of them all, ready to make her mark on the global tournament.