'No Need To Make...': Pratika Rawal's First Reaction After Being Punished By ICC
India batter Pratika Rawal clarified on Friday that her shoulder contact with England cricketers during the first Women's ODI was 'not intentional" after being fined and handed one demerit point by the ICC.
The ICC had earlier imposed a 10 per cent match fee fine and a demerit point on Rawal for breaching its Code of Conduct, stating that the Indian batter engaged in 'avoidable physical contact" with England's Lauren Filer and Sophie Ecclestone in the 18th and 19th overs.
'It was not intentional. I was just running my way, and that shoulder barge was completely unintentional," Rawal told the media ahead of the second ODI.
'I don't think there is a need for a reaction or to make a fuss about it. It was not intentional," she added, referring to the incident in Southampton.
England were also fined five per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate during the opening ODI, which India won by four wickets.
The ICC said both Rawal and England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt 'accepted their respective sanctions" imposed by the match referee.
Rawal mentioned that India are focusing on one game at a time, coming off a 3-2 win in the five-match T20I series and needing only one win from the next two matches to clinch the ODI series.
'We are taking it one game at a time. Currently, our main focus is to win this series. Winning the next match would be great as it puts us ahead in the series. Our aim is to win this series 3-0," she said.
'Also, I feel that focusing on one thing at a time helps with better concentration and focus, so we are sticking to that approach," she added.
The right-handed top-order batter noted that scoring against teams like England and Australia — with whom India will play three ODIs before the World Cup at home — boosts her confidence.
Rawal scored 36 off 51 balls in the first match that India won by four wickets.
'Scoring well against teams like England and Australia gives you a lot of confidence, and playing more matches against them builds the confidence required for upcoming series and matches," Rawal said.
'It's a great initiative to play as many matches as we can. The way our team is progressing right now is amazing, with significant contributions from all players," she added.
view comments
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
27 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Tactically Gambhir hasn't made it easier, he needs to take chill pill: Sanjay Manjrekar
Gautam Gambhir needs to loosen up, may be take a "chill pill", feels cricketer-turned-analyst Sanjay Manjrekar, who strongly believes that India earned a creditable draw in the fourth Test against England here despite some not-so-great tactical calls by the national team's head coach. Manjrekar didn't mince words when he said that the former southpaw hasn't strategically been on point in the red-ball format. Despite the fighting draw on Sunday (July 27, 2025), India are trailing 1-2 in the series with just one match to go. "I feel India has done well despite some of his (Gambhir) tactical decisions. Let's not forget: India lost 3-0 at home (to) New Zealand, lost comfortably to Australia (away). The fight we've seen in this team? That's down to the players. "Because tactically, Gambhir hasn't always made things easier— especially with some of his selections." Manjrekar also urged the fiery head coach not to treat every contrarian opinion as mindless criticism after the former India opener hit back at critics of skipper Shubman Gill describing them as people who lacked cricketing knowledge. "There was never any doubt about Shubman Gill's talent. If someone had doubts, they probably don't understand cricket. Some players take time to settle in international cricket. "In this dressing room, no one is surprised by what he's done on this tour," Gambhir said at the post-match press conference. "Even if he hadn't performed the way he did, we would still have had complete faith in his talent. What matters is that he's living up to his expectations and potential. More importantly, the so-called pressure of captaincy doesn't seem to affect him when he bats; he plays as a batsman, not as a captain," he added. Manjrekar, the veteran of 37 Tests, is known to speak his mind on various issues pertaining to Indian cricket, which at times doesn't conform to the popular point of view. After listening to Gambhir's press conference, the Mumbaikar couldn't help but express his take on 'JioHostar'. "Yeah, you can tell there are certain questions that get under his skin— especially when people question Gill as a young captain and batter. And honestly, those are valid doubts. "Even people who deeply understand cricket wonder whether this was the right time to hand him that opportunity. I just hope we can all understand this better," Manjrekar said. Over the past decade, whether it is some recently-retired superstars or current head coach and one or two senior players, there is always talk about "outside noise" which loosely means anyone who is critical of the team other than those present inside the confines of the dressing room. "It's not about 'you guys think' and 'we think'— we're all part of the same industry and the same country. I'd just like to see him take a chill pill, relax a bit, and be open to tough questions. Whether that will happen, I'm not sure," said Manjrekar. Manjrekar was also dismissive of Gambhir's assertion that Karun Nair wasn't dropped after his poor run of scores but just the best eleven was picked. "And to suggest that Karun Nair 'wasn't dropped'... come on. You guys see it as a drop; for them, it's about 'picking the right team'. If someone is dropped, he is dropped," he added.
Indian Express
27 minutes ago
- Indian Express
ICC WTC 2025-27 Points Table: England slip to third after tough draw vs India in Manchester Test; Australia continue to lead standings
ICC World Test Championship 2025-2027 Standings: A valiant effort from the Indian batters saw them save the fourth Test against England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday. After trailing by 311 runs in the first innings, skipper Shubman Gill and opener KL Rahul put on an 188-run partnership for the third wicket after two wickets fell for a no-score in the first over. Gill scored his fourth ton of the series while Rahul was unfortunate to be dismissed just 10 runs shy of his hundred. From there, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar stitched a 203-run partnership, helping India to a famous draw. England still leads the five-match series 2-1 ahead of the last Test. England slipped to third place in the World Test Championship (2025-27) standings after being condemned to their first draw in the 'Bazball' era in a Test not affected by rain. The Ben Stokes side now has 26 points from four Tests and a 54.17 PCT. India is still fourth with 33.33 PCT. Australia continue to lead the fresh new cycle of WTC standings with three wins and 100.00 PCT. Sri Lanka moved to second with 16 points and 66.67 PCT after two Tests. Bangladesh are fifth with one loss and one draw against Sri Lanka. West Indies, who had their chances against Australia in all three Tests but squandered those to get a clean sweep in the home series 3-0, have yet to open their account in the WTC this cycle. New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa are yet to play any matches in this WTC cycle. Defending World Test Champion South Africa beat Zimbabwe 2-0 in the recently concluded Test match series, but since Zimbabwe is not part of the current WTC cycle, the series was not counted in for the standings. (Table updated after England vs India 4th Test on 27 July 2025)
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
27 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Gambhir's tactics haven't eased things; he needs to relax: Manjrekar
Gautam Gambhir needs to loosen up, may be take a "chill pill", feels cricketer-turned-analyst Sanjay Manjrekar, who strongly believes that India earned a creditable draw in the fourth Test against England here despite some not-so-great tactical calls by the national team's head coach. Manjrekar didn't mince words when he said that the former southpaw hasn't strategically been on point in the red-ball format. Despite the fighting draw on Sunday, India are trailing 1-2 in the series with just one match to go. "I feel India has done well despite some of his (Gambhir) tactical decisions. Let's not forget: India lost 3-0 at home (to) New Zealand, lost comfortably to Australia (away). The fight we've seen in this team? That's down to the players. "Because tactically, Gambhir hasn't always made things easier - especially with some of his selections." Manjrekar also urged the fiery head coach not to treat every contrarian opinion as mindless criticism after the former India opener hit back at critics of skipper Shubman Gill describing them as people who lacked cricketing knowledge. "There was never any doubt about Shubman Gill's talent. If someone had doubts, they probably don't understand cricket. Some players take time to settle in international cricket. "In this dressing room, no one is surprised by what he's done on this tour," Gambhir said at the post-match press conference. "Even if he hadn't performed the way he did, we would still have had complete faith in his talent. What matters is that he's living up to his expectations and potential. More importantly, the so-called pressure of captaincy doesn't seem to affect him when he bats; he plays as a batsman, not as a captain," he added. Manjrekar, the veteran of 37 Tests, is known to speak his mind on various issues pertaining to Indian cricket, which at times doesn't conform to the popular point of view. After listening to Gambhir's press conference, the Mumbaikar couldn't help but express his take on 'JioHostar'. "Yeah, you can tell there are certain questions that get under his skin - especially when people question Gill as a young captain and batter. And honestly, those are valid doubts. "Even people who deeply understand cricket wonder whether this was the right time to hand him that opportunity. I just hope we can all understand this better," Manjrekar said. Over the past decade, whether it is some recently-retired superstars or current head coach and one or two senior players, there is always talk about "outside noise" which loosely means anyone who is critical of the team other than those present inside the confines of the dressing room. "It's not about 'you guys think' and 'we think' - we're all part of the same industry and the same country. I'd just like to see him take a chill pill, relax a bit, and be open to tough questions. Whether that will happen, I'm not sure," said Manjrekar. Manjrekar was also dismissive of Gambhir's assertion that Karun Nair wasn't dropped after his poor run of scores but just the best eleven was picked. "And to suggest that Karun Nair 'wasn't dropped'... come on. You guys see it as a drop; for them, it's about 'picking the right team'. If someone is dropped, he is dropped," he added.
