It took a while, but India’s opening batter Pratika Rawal finally got her hands on the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 winner’s medal. She had been left off the medal list at first because of strict rules from the International Cricket Council. These rules usually keep players who are hurt from getting medals, even if they played earlier in the tournament.
When Rawal showed off her medal in an official team photo with President Draupadi Murmu, it was a big deal that spread quickly on social media. The way they looked made it seem like the ICC might have changed its mind about how to handle medal eligibility for injured players. Even though she couldn’t finish the trip with the team, this small but meaningful gesture honors Rawal’s part in India’s historic World Cup win.
Pratika Rawal was seen proudly wearing her medal:
The ICC has very strict rules about World Cup medals. You must be on the final 15-member squad for the championship match, and that’s it. Pratika Rawal played very well in the tournament, but she had to sit out the league-stage game against Bangladesh because she got hurt. As the semifinal approached, Shafali Verma took her place, which meant that Rawal’s name didn’t make it to the medal ceremony.
The Indian team came to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday to meet President Draupadi Murmu, and everything changed. The group photo that came next told the real story: Rawal was proudly wearing her World Cup winner’s medal around her neck. The ICC and BCCI have not said whether they really changed their minds, but the moment sparked a lot of speculation that strict rules finally gave in to her important contributions. Fans and cricket players went crazy with support, celebrating what seemed like a well-deserved honor.
The team had already visited Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Lok Kalyan Marg before the president came. The players gave him a jersey signed by everyone on the championship team as a symbolic gesture to celebrate India’s first Women’s World Cup title.
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