Pratika Rawal is a scholar of psychology, and that reality alone affords a glimpse into the thoughts behind the bat. In at present’s fast-paced world, the place there’s barely a second to pause and grief usually takes a backseat, psychologists quietly maintain the ability to resurrect psychological well-being.
For Pratika, nonetheless, she is her personal therapist, her personal information—navigating the stress cooker of worldwide cricket with the calm precision of somebody who understands the thoughts in addition to the sport.
Ladies’s World Cup: India vs New Zealand Highlights
Her brother, Shashwat Rawal, calls her a genius—and on Thursday on the DY Patil Stadium in opposition to New Zealand, genius was precisely what India witnessed.
With the burden of World Cup semi-final qualification Resting squarely on her shoulders, Pratika introduced greater than talent to the crease; she introduced a thoughts educated in understanding stress, focus, and resilience.
With over 75 per cent marks in her psychology diploma, she has mastered concept—however it’s the sensible software that shone brightest in opposition to the White Ferns.
The beginning was not as seamless as her early profession flares in opposition to the West Indies and Eire. Momentum appeared elusive. But, as the sport unfolded, Pratika showcased the composure and grit which have grow to be her hallmark.
Whereas it was Smriti Mandhana who claimed the Participant of the Match award, it was unattainable to disregard Pratika’s spellbinding presence—her innings equally commanding consideration, proving that cricket, like psychology, is as a lot about thoughts as it’s about talent.
HOW PRATIKA BLUNTED NEW ZEALAND
Pratika did not rush in with the fireworks like many others, these batters who hit their method out of hassle. As an alternative, she took her time—ten balls for her first run—as India made a measured begin to their innings. She studied the Navi Mumbai pitch, allowed her thoughts to sync along with her physique, and solely then started to speed up.
Pratika is not the sort to entertain for the sake of it. She’s a grafter—somebody who respects the scenario, retains her head down, and quietly will get the job carried out. She could not possess the flamboyance of an Alyssa Healy, a Tazmin Brits, or a Nat Sciver-Brunt, however she is Pratika Rawal—and that was greater than sufficient.
Towards New Zealand, she joined the elite, changing into the joint-fastest batter to 1000 Ladies’s ODI runs, equaling Lindsay Reeler’s report. But, Pratika wasn’t even conscious of the milestone till it was identified through the mid-innings break. And why would she be? After three consecutive losses, India’s struggles have been much more urgent than information.
Her innings unfolded with a relaxed precision—her fifty got here off 75 balls, her century off 122. At no level did it really feel hurried or chaotic. Watching her bat was like witnessing meditation in movement, a thoughts giving cautious directions to the physique, every shot a deliberate, measured step towards the goal.
PRATIKA RAWAL’S REMARKABLE EVOLUTION
Pratika Rawal is not a product of the Ladies’s Premier League hype; her journey has been cast on the exhausting grounds of home cricket with Delhi, tournaments that hardly ever command the eye or fanfare that the Ranji Trophy or Vijay Hazare Trophy do within the males’s recreation. Even when she performed match-winning knocks, the popularity she deserved was usually elusive.
Like many greats, Pratika did not burst onto the scene as a teenage prodigy. It is solely in her mid-20s that she actually started to rise, quietly however steadily. Anjum Chopra, the primary Indian girl to attain a century in ODIs, praised her for her unwavering focus, her capacity to stay to her recreation, and her dedication to navigate difficult situations with poise. In Pratika, perseverance is not only a trait—it is a lifestyle.
“For me, Pratika Rawal’s evolution is exceptional. Coming from home cricket with out WPL expertise, she stepped into the worldwide workforce and made a direct affect in opposition to Eire and West Indies,” Chopra informed Star Sports activities after the match.
“Even when situations have been difficult in Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, she hung in there. She continued that kind within the first two World Cup matches as effectively. The hassle she’s put in beneath stress and expectation is, to me, extra vital than simply reaching 1000 runs in 23 innings. Sure, that milestone is essential, however the effort, particularly taking part in her first World Cup, is top-notch,” Chopra added.
PRATIKA KEEPS GROWING
For Pratika, the century was greater than only a private milestone—it was an announcement. It proved that she will ship on the largest stage, beneath the heaviest stress, and that India can financial institution on her when it issues most.
With the semi-finals looming, her kind affords hope: that she will tackle any bowler, whether or not from South Africa, England, or Australia. The innings additionally put to relaxation lingering doubts about her choice over the extra aggressive Shafali Verma.
If Pratika carries this way into the semis, it may mark the daybreak of a brand new period—the emergence of a participant able to leaving a long-lasting imprint on girls’s cricket, somebody who would possibly effectively grow to be one of many greats.
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