Psychology and cricket - meet India's latest batting star

"I don't differentiate betwixt a girl and a son. My boy is an technologist and has nary liking successful cricket, but my girl is playing cricket for India."

Pradeep Rawal is proud of nan way taken successful life by his children. The truth it's his girl pursing nan sporting way is irrelevant to him.

Pratika Rawal, a right-handed opening batter, is simply a cardinal portion of India's squad astatine nan Women's World Cup. At 25, she has already shown immense committedness successful her short world profession and is being touted arsenic 1 of India's adjacent large stars successful women's cricket.

A batting mean of almost 50 aft 21 one-day internationals usually guarantees that.

Born into a cricket-loving family successful India's capital, Delhi, Pratika had a bat successful her manus by nan property of three. Her father, Pradeep, a university-level cricketer and BCCI Level 2 umpire, wanted his girl to fulfil nan dream he couldn't.

"I didn't person nan intends aliases guidance to make it successful cricket, truthful erstwhile Pratika was conscionable 3 years old, I started school her," he recalls.

In a state wherever cricket is often treated for illustration a belief but women's cricket has agelong struggled for recognition, Pradeep's support was unwavering.

"I knew, irrespective of gender, cricket would beryllium successful my children's genes since I've dedicated my full life to nan sport. Thankfully, she had nan interest, and I didn't hesitate for a second," he says.

Pratika was conscionable 10 years aged erstwhile Pradeep realised she was destined to execute thing big.

"When she was conscionable 10, her schoolhouse organised a lucifer against a elder assemblage squad and she made much than 50 runs," Pradeep recalls.

"Everyone was shocked astatine really specified a young kid could bat truthful well; that's erstwhile I knew she was special."

As Pratika moved up done nan property groups, she caught nan attraction of erstwhile India subordinate Deepti Dhyani, who became her coach.

"I saw her play a fewer drives and realised she had nan capabilities. Most state-level players person talent; nan situation is transforming it for master cricket. That's wherever we arsenic coaches measurement in," Deepti says.

"She stood retired because whenever you asked her to activity connected something, she would tick each box, moreover if you weren't watching."

Deepti besides emphasised fitness, thing Pratika had embraced since childhood.

"We often deliberation gym activity intends building bulky muscles, but it's really astir staying injury-free. Thankfully, Pratika understood that good and worked connected her fittingness seriously," says Deepti.

Even arsenic cricket became her focus, Pratika didn't neglect her studies. She pursued a grade successful psychology, which helped her understand nan intelligence broadside of nan game.

"She was successful ninth modular erstwhile she sewage willing successful psychology, truthful she decided to study it successful college," says her father.

"In cricket, psychology plays a awesome role. When you're batting, trying to publication what a bowler is reasoning aliases why they've group a definite field, it helps you dissect situations better. It's been really useful for her."

It's that out-of-the-box reasoning which gives Pratika a useful accomplishment disconnected nan field: she tin lick a Rubik's cube.

"It has an algorithm to it," Pratika said, successful a societal media video. "The centre pieces don't move, truthful you request to move everything astir those."

Easy, aliases truthful Pratika makes it seem.

Despite accordant home performances, Pratika was overlooked successful past year's lucrative Women's Premier League (WPL) auction.

The setback didn't past long. Weeks later, Pratika received her maiden India call-up. She made her debut against nan West Indies successful December 2024 and has since been consistently among nan runs. Her standout infinitesimal came erstwhile she smashed 154 against Ireland successful only her sixth game.

"We were judge she would make it to nan Indian squad sooner aliases later," Deepti says proudly. "She was ready, she conscionable needed that 1 chance, and she made it count."

Since her debut, Pratika has scored 7 fifties and a century. In India's thrilling World Cup group crippled pinch nan all-conquering Australia, Rawal stood up to immoderate of nan champion new-ball bowlers successful nan world to deed 75 successful an opening business of 155 pinch Smriti Mandhana.

There person been blips for India, including defeats against Australia and South Africa, but they are still expected to scope nan semi-finals wherever they will dream to make location advantage count and go nan first squad from Asia to spell connected and triumph nan competition.

Her begetter echoes that optimism: "We will triumph this World Cup, I'm judge of it. We person large expectations from Pratika too, and immoderate domiciled nan squad guidance has fixed her, she'll fulfil it."