 "Pratika Rawal wore the medal during the meet with PM Modi. X")
The controversy around Pratika Rawal not being awarded the winner’s medal for being part of the Women’s World Cup team has ended with the India opener receiving the medal thanks to an intervention from the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Pratika was not awarded a medal after India won the World Cup as she was ruled out of the semifinal and final after getting injured during the league stage, and was replaced by Shafali Verma.
However, with the ICC chairman Jay Shah intervening himself, Pratika has now received her medal. The father of the India opener confirmed the development.
‘Jay Shah texted us’
“Jay Shah personally texted us and said that he had spoken to the ICC, and that we would receive the medal," Pradeep Rawal told India Today on Friday. “Pratika received the medal before meeting Prime Minister Modi. Jay Shah took the initiative himself and personally informed Pratika.”
Pratika also confirmed that she got the medal during an interview with CNN-News18. However, she said that the medal she wore during the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi was of a member of the support staff.
“Jay Shah texted our manager that I want to make arrangements to get medal for Pratika. So, finally, I now do have my own medal. The first time I opened it up (medal given to her by support staff) and, I looked towards it, I was almost in tears. I’m not a person who cries a lot but that emotion was real, that feeling of join us,” she said.
Despite not playing the semifinal and final, Pratika finished as the fourth-highest run-getter of the World Cup with 308 runs in six innings.
Pratika’s replacement Shafali Verma gave a Player of the Match performance in the final. She struck 87 from 78 balls with the bat and then returned with the ball to pick up two crucial wickets in the middle overs.