Bageshwar: Uttarakhand’s rising women cricketer Prema Rawat has earned a place in the Indian women’s cricket team for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. The talented spinner from Bageshwar has been named as a replacement for injured off-spinner Shreyanka Patil, who has been ruled out of the tournament.
The ICC Technical Committee has approved Prema Rawat’s inclusion in the Indian squad, marking a historic moment for women’s cricket in Uttarakhand.
Prema, who hails from Sumti-Baisani village in Kapkot tehsil of Bageshwar district, is a right-handed batter and a leg-spin bowler. She has represented the Uttarakhand women’s team in domestic cricket and has built a strong reputation through consistent performances with both bat and ball.
Her impressive performances in domestic tournaments helped her catch the attention of national selectors. During the 2023 Senior Women’s T20 Tournament, she emerged among the leading wicket-takers, claiming 16 wickets in 10 matches.
In recent years, Prema has established herself as one of India’s promising young women cricketers. She was also associated with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru franchise in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and later earned an opportunity with the India A team, where she continued to impress with her bowling.
Celebration in Bageshwar
Prema’s selection for the T20 World Cup squad sparked celebrations across Bageshwar. Members of the Cricket Association of Bageshwar celebrated the achievement by distributing sweets and bursting crackers at SBI Tiraha.
Former Cricket Association of Uttarakhand Joint Secretary Suresh Soniyal, District President Ramchandra Pandey, Secretary Ramesh Danu, Joint Secretary Praveen Gadhiya, Ramesh Lohani, Rakesh Parihar, Harish Rawat, Kamal Bisht, Manoj Oli, Vijay Gadhiya, Anuj Sah Gangola, Manoj Bachkheti and several other members congratulated Prema on her achievement.
Association members described her selection as a proud moment not only for Bageshwar but for the entire state of Uttarakhand, expressing confidence that she will perform well on the global stage and bring further recognition to the state and the country.
