India's Shreyanka Patil Out of T20 World Cup 2026 After Ankle Injury; Prema Rawat Named Replacement

India's off-spinner Shreyanka Patil has been ruled out of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 after sustaining an ankle injury during the team's Group A match against the Netherlands on June 17, 2026. Patil was injured while fielding in her first over and was stretchered off the pitch, ending her participation in the tournament. The injury setback comes after Patil had recently returned to international cricket following a previous injury.

The ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 Event Technical Committee approved 24-year-old leg-break bowler Prema Rawat as Patil's replacement in the India squad. Rawat, who was already in England as part of the India A tour, will now join the national team. Although uncapped at the international level, Rawat has demonstrated considerable promise in recent competitions, including the Women's Premier League where she plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Women's Asia Cup Rising Stars, where she took eight wickets at an average of 9.62 for India A. She has also performed well in domestic cricket for Uttarakhand.

India, unbeaten with two victories so far in the tournament, is scheduled to face South Africa at Old Trafford in Manchester on June 21, 2026. Rawat's inclusion provides India with additional bowling depth as the team progresses through the knockout stages of the competition.