Jay Shah ensured India opener Pratika Rawal received her Women’s World Cup winner’s medal after ICC rules initially denied her one. (Image Credit: X/ @meme_ki_diwani)
The triumph of India in the Women's World Cup had a very emotional twist for opener Pratika Rawal, who was India's second-highest run-scorer in the tournament. Despite her stellar performances, Pratika was initially denied a winner's medal due to ICC's eligibility rules, until Jay Shah stepped in to ensure justice was done.
According to ICC rules, only the 15-member squad that features in the final receives the winner's medals. Pratika had to be replaced by Shafali Verma owing to an ankle injury ahead of the semi-final clash against Australia.
But while Pratika joined her teammates in celebration even rolling onto the field in a wheelchair after India's 52-run win over South Africa she was noticeably sans medal. The image quickly went viral, raising questions about fairness and recognition for players who contribute heavily before the final stages.
In a heartwarming gesture, BCCI secretary and ICC chairman Jay Shah intervened personally to ensure that Pratika got her medal.
"Jay Shah texted our team manager saying he wanted to make arrangements for my medal," Pratika revealed. "When I finally received it, I opened the box and was almost in tears. I'm not someone who cries easily, but that emotion was real."
The gesture underlined Shah's recognition of contributions beyond the playing XI, celebrating every individual who played a role in India's historic campaign.
Prior to her injury, Pratika had been one of India's most consistent performers throughout the World Cup. In six innings, she scored 308 runs, which included a century and a fifty, giving good starts at the top for the batting side. Composure and timing set the tone for Pratiksha-Aegis' dominant group-stage performances for India.
But her tournament ended abruptly as she injured her right foot while fielding in the deep during the Bangladesh match, thus ruling her out of the knockout stages.
