India batter Pratika Rawal’s father, Pradeep Rawal, has revealed that ICC President Jay Shah personally intervened to ensure his daughter received her World Cup winner’s medal following India’s victory over South Africa in the Women’s World Cup 2025 final. Pratika was originally part of India’s World Cup squad but missed the latter stages of the tournament due to an ankle injury sustained during the final group-stage match against Bangladesh. She was subsequently replaced by Shafali Verma, who played a defining role in the final, contributing with both bat and ball to secure India’s 52-run win over South Africa at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
As the team celebrated the historic triumph, Pratika was seen in a wheelchair among her teammates but notably without the winner’s medal around her neck. Under ICC regulations, only players listed in the final 15-member squad for the championship match are entitled to receive the winner’s medals.
However, fans later noticed that Pratika was wearing the winner’s medal during the Indian team’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu, leading to speculation about what had changed. Her father later clarified that ICC President Jay Shah had taken personal initiative to make it happen.
“Jay Shah personally texted us and said that he had spoken to the ICC, and that we would receive the medal. Pratika received the medal before meeting Prime Minister Modi. Jay Shah took the initiative himself and personally informed Pratika,” Pradeep Rawal told IndiaToday.in.
Neither the ICC nor the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has released an official statement on the matter, but the move has been widely appreciated by cricket fans and experts alike. Before her injury, Pratika was instrumental in India’s journey to the semifinals, finishing as the team’s second-highest run-scorer with 308 runs in six innings, despite missing the knockout stages.
Why She Didn’t Had A Medal?
According to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) eligibility rules, medals are granted only to players listed in the official 15-member squad at the end of the tournament, including those participating in the knockout and final stages.
Pratika Rawal missed the latter half of the competition after sustaining a knee and ankle injury during India’s group match against Bangladesh in Navi Mumbai. Her injury forced the team to bring in Shafali Verma as her replacement ahead of the semifinal clash against Australia.
Since Rawal was officially replaced due to the injury, she no longer qualified under the ICC’s eligibility guidelines and therefore did not initially receive a winner’s medal, despite her vital contributions in the earlier stages of the event.
A comparable instance took place during the 2003 Men’s World Cup when Australian pacer Jason Gillespie, who had claimed eight wickets in four matches before getting injured, also missed out on a winner’s medal after being ruled out of the squad.
