India’s Pratika Rawal Addresses ICC Sanctions Following Match Incident
After receiving a penalty from the International Cricket Council (ICC), Indian batter Pratika Rawal spoke out about her unintentional shoulder contact with England players Lauren Filer and Sophie Ecclestone. Rawal has been fined 10% of her match fee and received a demerit point for the incident that occurred during the 18th and 19th overs of the match.
In the same game, England was also fined 5% of their match fees due to a slow over-rate, while India claimed victory. Both Pratika Rawal and England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt chose not to challenge the sanctions and accepted the decisions. Speaking to the press before the second One Day International (ODI), Rawal maintained that there was nothing intentional about her actions, emphasizing that she was simply running when the contact happened.
“It wasn’t on purpose. I was just moving in my direction, and the contact was entirely unintentional,” Rawal told reporters. She added that there was no need to blow things out of proportion over the incident.
Looking ahead, India’s team is focused on their upcoming matches. After a successful T20 series win, Rawal expressed hope for a clean sweep in the remaining two ODIs. “We are concentrating on one game at a time. Our main goal is to win this series. Securing a 3-0 victory would be fantastic,” she stated.
The second ODI between England and India is set to take place on Saturday, July 19, at Lord’s.
