Psychology and cricket – meet India’s latest batting star

“I don’t distinguish between a son and a daughter,” I say. My daughter plays cricket for India, but my son, an engineer, has no interest in cricket.

Pradeep Rawal is proud of the path his children have taken in life. He is unconcerned with his daughter’s desire to pursue a sport.

A crucial component of India’s Women’s World Cup squad is the right-handed opening batter Pratika Rawal. She is being touted as one of India’s next big women’s cricket stars at the age of 25 and has already shown enormous promise in her short international career.

By the age of three, Pratika had a bat in her hand and was raised in a cricket-loving family in Delhi, India. Her father, a college-level cricketer and BCCI Level 2 umpire, was unable to allow his daughter to realize the dream.

When Pratika was just three years old, he recalls, “I didn’t have the means or guidance to make it in cricket.”

Pradeep’s support was unwavering in a nation where women’s cricket has long struggled for recognition despite being frequently treated like a religion.

Since I have dedicated my entire life to the sport, I knew that cricket would be in my children’s genes, regardless of gender. He says, “Thankfully, she had the interest, and I didn’t have to think twice.”

When Pradeep realized she was on a big-name project at the age of 10, Pratika realized what she was meant to achieve.

She played against a senior college team when she was just 10 years old, and she overran more than 50 runs, Pradeep recalls.

Former India player Deepti Dhyani, who became her coach, caught her attention as she progressed through the age groups.

She played a few drives for me before I realized she had the abilities. The challenge is transforming talent for professional cricket, which is the most abundant among state-level players. We as coaches intervene in that area, Deepti says.

She stood out because, even if you weren’t watching, she would check every box when you asked her to work on something.

Additionally, Deepti put a value on fitness, which Pratika has embraced since childhood.

“We frequently believe that working out in the gym means building bulky muscles, but the goal is to stay injury-free. Thankfully, Pratika took her fitness seriously and figured that out, says Deepti.

Pratika continued to pursue her studies even as cricket became more important. She became more aware of the mental component of the game by pursuing a psychology degree.

Her father claims that she was in the ninth grade when she became interested in psychology and decided to study it in college.

Psychology plays a significant role in cricket, according to the report. It helps you understand situations better when you’re batting, trying to understand what a bowler is thinking or why they’ve set a particular field. She has found it to be very helpful.

Pratika can solve a Rubik’s cube using that unique thinking that is unique.

In a social media video, Pratika stated that “it has an algorithm to it.” You need to move everything around those because the center pieces don’t move.

Pratika was omitted from last year’s lucrative Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction despite consistently strong domestic performances.

The setback was brief. After receiving her first call-up in India, Pratika received a wee call. In December 2024, she made her West Indies debut, and she has since been consistently on the front. In her sixth game, she scored 154 to defeat Ireland, which was her standout moment.

We were confident that she would eventually join the Indian team, Deepti proudly declares. She had a chance, and she made it count, according to the statement, “She was ready, she just needed that one chance.”

Pratika has scored seven fifties and one hundred since making her debut. In an opening partnership of 155 and Smriti Mandhana, Rawal faced some of the best new ball bowlers in the world to score a 75 in the thrilling World Cup group match against Australia.

India has experienced a few setbacks, including defeats against Australia and South Africa, but they are still expected to make it to the semi-finals, where they will hope to capture their first victory over Asia.