India Announce Shafali Verma As Replacement For Injured Pratika Rawal Ahead Of Women's World Cup Semifinal Against Australia

India have announced Shafali Verma as a replacement for the injured Pratika Rawal ahead of the ICC Women's World Cup semifinal against Australia. Pratika has been ruled out of the semifinal following an ankle injury against Bangladesh on Sunday.

ICC has confirmed that BCCI has named the explosive batter as the replacement, and she is now expected to join the team in Navi Mumbai ahead of the crucial clash. Rawal twisted her ankle while fielding in the last match against Bangladesh and her foot got stuck in the rain-soaked ground at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday. She was immediately attended by the medical team on the ground and later hobbled off the pitch.

Shafali hasn't played an ODI match in a year. But the 21-year-old did flex her muscles during the T20I series against England earlier this year and finished as the 2nd in the run scoring charts. She also took part in the Australia tour as part of the India A contingent.

India Cannot Take Things Lightly Against Mighty Australia

India finished 4th in the points table and secured a semifinal place with a win against New Zealand. Women In Blue are just one step away from a place in the final, but defending champions Australia haven't lost a single match in the tournament so far.

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Australia might be without its captain, Alyssa Healy, who has been recovering from a calf injury she picked up during training. She didn't feature in the last two matches and there is a possibility that she might miss the semifinal. Healy singlehandedly thrashed India with a sensational century during a group stage match, and his absence could be a vital blow for the Aussies.

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