Jemimah Rodrigues Ruled Out of Asia Cup and Asian Games With High-Grade Hamstring Tear

India’s preparations for two major women’s cricket assignments have suffered a significant setback after star batter Jemimah Rodrigues was ruled out of both the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup in the UAE and the Asian Games in Japan due to a high-grade hamstring injury.

Rodrigues sustained the injury on August 3 while representing Southern Brave in The Hundred in England. After initially being ruled out of the remainder of the domestic tournament, the extent of the injury was confirmed following an assessment by the BCCI medical team at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed that Rodrigues has suffered a high-grade tear to her right hamstring, ruling her out of India's upcoming assignments.

The setback comes at an important stage of India's international calendar. The Women’s Asia Cup begins on August 28, with India starting its campaign against Thailand on August 30. The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, will follow from September 19 to October 4.

Rodrigues has established herself as one of India's key players in the shortest format, having represented the national team in 131 T20 internationals. Her absence removes an experienced middle-order option from India's Asia Cup squad at a time when the team is preparing for a tournament featuring several strong Asian sides.

Rodrigues was also part of India's memorable run during the 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup, including a match-winning century against Australia in the semifinal. Her ability to accelerate an innings while also building partnerships has made her an important component of India's batting unit. With the Asia Cup beginning in just over two weeks, India will now have to adjust its plans and find a way to replace both Rodrigues' batting contribution and her experience.

Pratika Rawal gets Asia Cup opportunity

The Women's Selection Committee has named Pratika Rawal as Rodrigues' replacement for the Asia Cup. Rawal returns to the India setup after featuring prominently for India A and being part of India's wider plans in recent years. The 25-year-old, however, is yet to make her T20I debut and did not feature in the 2026 Women's Premier League after being ruled out with an injury sustained before the 2025 ODI World Cup final.

Her inclusion therefore presents an opportunity to make an immediate impact in a new format and environment. Rawal's selection also gives India another top-order option as the team prepares for a demanding tournament schedule.

India will begin its Asia Cup campaign against Thailand on August 30. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will then face Hong Kong, China on September 3 before taking on arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai on September 5. The tournament's semifinal matches are scheduled for September 10 and 11, with the final set to be played on September 13.

India's updated squad features a mix of experienced international players and emerging talent. Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the side, with Smriti Mandhana serving as vice-captain. Shafali Verma, Bharti Fulmali and Pratika Rawal form part of the batting group, while Deepti Sharma provides experience in both departments.

Richa Ghosh and G. Kamalini are the wicketkeeping options, with Arundhati Reddy, Prema Rawat, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani, Renuka Thakur, Nandni Sharma and Kranti Gaud completing the squad.

Rodrigues' injury will have implications beyond the Asia Cup. The Asian Games are scheduled to take place in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19 to October 4, and the Indian women's cricket squad for the continental event is yet to be finalized.

Her absence means the selectors will need to assess their batting combinations before finalizing the squad.

The timing of the injury also makes rehabilitation the immediate priority for Rodrigues. A high-grade hamstring tear requires careful management, particularly for a professional cricketer whose game involves repeated acceleration, sprinting, and rapid changes of direction.

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For India, the focus now shifts towards adapting quickly. The team still possesses considerable batting depth, with experienced campaigners such as Harmanpreet and Mandhana alongside Shafali, Deepti and Richa. But Rodrigues' absence removes a player capable of changing the momentum of a game and producing decisive performances under pressure.

For Pratika Rawal, meanwhile, the opportunity could not have arrived at a more significant moment.

India's Asia Cup campaign begins on August 30, giving the new-look squad limited time to settle into its combinations. Rodrigues will now begin her recovery with the aim of returning to competitive cricket as soon as medically appropriate.

For one of India's most important batters, the next few weeks will be about rehabilitation rather than runs. For India, they will be about finding a way forward without one of their most influential T20 players.