Jemimah Rodrigues ruled out of India’s Women’s T20 Asia Cup opener against Thailand with hamstring tear
Jemimah Rodrigues will miss India’s opening Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 match against Thailand in Dubai after being ruled out with a high-grade right hamstring tear.
India begin their Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 campaign in Dubai with a strong squad and high expectations, aiming to arrest a recent inconsistent run in the shortest format of the game; the team is considered among the favourites and has won the Women’s Asia Cup multiple times previously. The side has won all four editions when the tournament was played in the ODI format and has three titles in the T20 format. India have been drawn in a group with Thailand, Hong Kong and Pakistan Women.
The injury to Rodrigues occurred on August 3 while she was playing for Southern Brave in The Hundred in England. She was subsequently examined and assessed by the BCCI medical team at the Centre of Excellence, where the extent of the damage was confirmed as a high-grade right hamstring tear. That medical assessment determined she would be unavailable for selection for the tournament.
The hamstring tear has ruled Rodrigues out of the entire Women’s Asia Cup and also the 2026 Asian Games, which the article states are scheduled to take place in Japan next month. The report specifies the injury is serious enough to prevent her participation in both events. The board’s medical verdict prompted an immediate replacement call by the selection committee.
The women’s selection committee named Pratika Rawal as Rodrigues’ replacement in the India squad. Rawal rejoined the national setup after a stint with India A, providing an additional batting option though the piece notes her role is not a like-for-like replacement for Rodrigues. The article confirms Rawal has no T20 international experience but was part of India’s victorious Women’s World Cup campaign in 2025.
Rodrigues is described in the report as one of India’s most-capped T20I players, having played 131 matches and scored 2824 runs. India retain several experienced batters in the squad, including captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma, who remain available to lead the batting unit.
No, Jemimah Rodrigues will not play for India in the 2026 Asian Games because a serious leg injury has ruled her out of the tournament. Yes, Pratika Rawal is playing in the India Women (INDW) vs Thailand Women (THAIW) match.
India will start their group-stage fixtures in Dubai with Pratika Rawal included for the Thailand match as they compete in Group games against Thailand, Hong Kong and Pakistan in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026.