India spinner Shreyanka Patil has been ruled out of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 after sustaining an ankle injury, with uncapped leg-spinner Prema Rawat approved as her replacement for the rest of the tournament.
The change was confirmed by the BCCI on 19 June after Patil suffered the injury while fielding during India’s group match against the Netherlands on 17 June. The governing body said the Event Technical Committee had approved Rawat’s inclusion, with India’s Women’s Selection Committee naming her in the squad for the remainder of the competition.
Patil’s exit is a sharp setback for Harmanpreet Kaur’s side because she had only recently returned to the international set-up and offered India another spin option in English conditions.
Rawat steps in after India A form
Rawat is already in England with India A and now moves into the senior World Cup squad. The BCCI noted that she took eight wickets in five matches during India’s Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars triumph and was joint-leading wicket-taker on India A’s tour of Australia last year.
That form gives India a like-for-like spin replacement, but Rawat is still uncapped at senior international level. Her elevation adds fresh intrigue to India’s campaign, with the group stage now testing both their depth and their ability to absorb an injury to a specialist bowler mid-tournament.
The full squad update was detailed in a BCCI media advisory confirming Rawat’s replacement call-up.
