After days of anticipation, Pratika Rawal finally received her World Cup medal, and the joy was written all over her face when she, along with her victorious Team India members, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday met the Indian women’s cricket team following their historic ODI World Cup triumph at his official residence at Lok Kalyan Marg.
PM Modi congratulated the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side — dressed in smart formal attire and wearing their winner’s medals — on their historic achievement and praised their remarkable comeback in the tournament after a string of three defeats in the league stage and the trolling they had faced on social media platforms.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Pratika Rawal, who was ruled out of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 due to an ankle injury, had been one of India’s standout performers before her setback. The 24-year-old finished as the second-highest run-scorer for the team with 308 runs, including a century and a half-century.
Sharing her emotions while celebrating from the sidelines in a wheelchair, Pratika said: “I can’t even express it. There are no words. This flag on my shoulder means so much. To be here with my team — it’s surreal. Injuries are part of the game, but I’m just so happy I could still be part of this team.
“I love this team. I can’t express what I feel — we actually did it! We’re the first Indian team to win the World Cup in so long. The whole of India deserves this. Honestly, it was harder to watch than to play. Every wicket, every boundary — it gave me goosebumps. The energy, the crowd, the emotion — it was incredible.”
What do the rules suggest?
According to ICC regulations, medals are awarded only to players in the final 15-member squad. Since Rawal was replaced before the semifinal, she missed out on the winner’s medal, even though her runs were instrumental in setting up India’s title charge. Interestingly, a similar situation occurred in the 2003 Men’s World Cup when Australia’s Jason Gillespie, despite taking eight wickets in four games, was replaced after an injury and did not receive a medal.
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