Wed Jan 15 16:42:25 UTC 2025: ## India’s Rawal Blasts Century, Challenges Verma’s Position
**Rajkot, India:** India’s women’s cricket team has found a formidable new opening partner for Smriti Mandhana in the form of Pratibha Rawal. Rawal, celebrated her maiden One Day International (ODI) century on Wednesday, January 15th, during the third ODI against Ireland at the Nirjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. Her stunning performance is raising questions about the future of established opener Shafali Verma.
Rawal’s century, achieved off just 100 balls and including 14 boundaries, came in a whirlwind innings alongside Mandhana. While Mandhana provided the aggressive impetus, Rawal played a more measured role, rotating the strike and steadily accumulating runs. Following Mandhana’s dismissal, Rawal accelerated, eventually reaching her century.
The 24-year-old’s meteoric rise is remarkable. In just her sixth ODI match, she’s already amassed over 400 runs, including a previous best score of 89 and an impressive average of 58 at a strike rate of 86.56. Her debut match yielded 40 runs, followed by 76 in the next, and she has already notched two half-centuries in this current series before achieving the century. This impressive run of form, including three half-centuries in her first five matches (where she scored 290 runs), makes her a strong contender for a permanent spot in the team. Her consistent performance significantly overshadows Shafali Verma’s recent stats, suggesting a potential shift in the team’s opening combination.
First Piper 