India are weighing Prem Rawat as the replacement for Shreyanka Patil after injury ruled Patil out before the Women’s T20 World Cup match against South Africa. The decision now sits inside a campaign that has opened with two wins, but Saturday’s selection at Old Trafford could change how India balance their bowling.
Avishkar Salvi on Prem Rawat
Avishkar Salvi said, “We will miss the services of Shreyanka for sure,” and called Patil’s absence an unfortunate incident. He also described Prema Rawat as “an equally exciting talent” and said, “She brings in different dimensions to the bowling unit altogether.”
Rawat was already in India’s wider World Cup plans, so the move would not be a scramble from outside the tournament group. Salvi said she is a leg-spinner, and that gives India another option in a bowling unit built around all-phase bowlers.
India’s South Africa test
The South Africa match comes after India’s recent five-match series against the same opponent, which Salvi said gave the team a lot to reflect on. That recent exposure gives India a clear reference point, but it also leaves them with a live selection call as they prepare for Old Trafford in Manchester on Saturday.
Harmanpreet Kaur will play her 200th T20I on Saturday. Salvi called her one of the best players he has worked with in terms of work ethic, while also stressing that India are not locked into rigid batting numbers.
India’s batting roles
“It is not about the number, it is about the position and the situation,” Salvi said, setting out the way India are approaching No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6. The expectation is simple: read the game and respond to what the moment demands, rather than chase fixed batting slots.
That leaves India with two live variables at once — a replacement decision around Patil and a milestone match for Harmanpreet. Rawat’s place in the side is still the selection thread to watch, and Saturday’s lineup will show whether India stick with the spinner they already had in their wider World Cup plans.
