Women’s Asia Cup 2026: Team India Will Play Without Jemimah Rodrigues, This Batter Gets a Chance

India’s women’s cricket team has suffered a major setback ahead of the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup, with star batter Jemimah Rodrigues ruled out of the tournament because of a hamstring injury. The Women’s Selection Committee has named Pratika Rawal as her replacement in India’s squad.

Rodrigues suffered the injury on August 3 while playing for Southern Brave in The Hundred in England. She was subsequently assessed by the BCCI Medical Team at its Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where tests confirmed a high-grade tear in her right hamstring.

Pratika Rawal Gets a Big Opportunity

The injury has opened the door for Pratika Rawal, who has been named as Rodrigues’ replacement for the Asia Cup.

Rawal has already established herself in India’s ODI setup. The 25-year-old has played 27 ODIs and scored 1,189 runs and was part of India’s historic 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup-winning campaign. She also made a promising start to her Test career with a half-century on debut against Australia in Perth.

The biggest challenge for Rawal will be adapting to the shortest format because she is yet to make her T20I debut. Her selection therefore represents a significant opportunity to establish herself in India’s T20 setup.

Jemimah’s Absence a Major Blow

Rodrigues has been one of India’s important white-ball batters and has 131 T20I appearances to her name. Her absence removes an experienced option from India’s batting order just two weeks before the Asia Cup begins.

She will also miss the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, which follow the Asia Cup. The injury means India will have to manage without her for two major tournaments.

When Will India Begin Their Asia Cup Campaign?

The Women’s Asia Cup will be played in the UAE from August 28 to September 13. India, the defending champions and seven-time winners, will begin their campaign against Thailand on August 30.

The much-awaited India-Pakistan match is scheduled for September 5.

India’s Updated Asia Cup Squad

• Harmanpreet Kaur — Captain
• Smriti Mandhana — Vice-Captain
• Shafali Verma
• Bharti Fulmali
• Deepti Sharma
• Richa Ghosh — Wicketkeeper
• G. Kamalini — Wicketkeeper
• Arundhati Reddy
• Prema Rawat
• Radha Yadav
• Sree Charani
• Renuka Thakur
• Nandni Sharma
• Kranti Gaud
• Pratika Rawal

The Bottom Line

Jemimah Rodrigues’ absence is undoubtedly a major setback for India, but it has created a huge opportunity for Pratika Rawal. With the Asia Cup just around the corner, Rawal could make her T20I debut at a major tournament and potentially turn an unfortunate injury situation into the biggest opportunity of her young international career.