Pratika Rawal: How a father’s dream led to the Women’s World Cup

As Pratika progressed through the age groups, she caught the attention of former India player Deepti Dayani, who became her coach.

“I saw her play a few innings and realized she had the potential. Most state-level players have talent; the challenge is to convert it into professional cricket. This is where we step in as coaches,” says Deepti.

“She stood out because whenever I asked her to work on something, she checked every box, even if you weren’t watching it.”

Deepti also emphasized on fitness, something Pratika has embraced since childhood.

“We often think that working out in the gym is about building huge muscles, but it’s actually about staying injury-free. Fortunately, Pratika understood this well and worked on her fitness seriously,” says Deepti.

Even when cricket became her focus, Pratika did not neglect her studies. She earned a degree in psychology, which helped her understand the mental side of the game.

“She was in the ninth grade when she became interested in psychology, so she decided to study it in college,” her father says.

“In cricket, psychology plays a major role. When you are batting, and you try to read what the player is thinking or why he selected a certain field, it helps you analyze situations better. That was really helpful for her.”

It’s this unconventional thinking that gives Pratika a useful skill off the field: she can solve a Rubik’s Cube.

“It has an algorithm,” Pratika said in a video on social media. “The center pieces don’t move, so you have to move everything around them.”

Easy, or so Pratika seems.