A Master’s Degree holder in psychology wins the challenge with ‘psychological strength’!
Pratika Rawal is a master’s Degree holder in psychology, and that reflected in her rock-solid innings of 122 against New Zealand along with Smriti Mandhana, guiding Indian women to ensure a berth in the semi-final of the ongoing women’s World Cup on Thursday. Amidst today’s fast-paced world, which hardly gives time and space to relax and often offers the grief of failure, psychologists quietly hold the power to resurrect mental well-being. For Pratika, however, she is her own therapist, her own guide—navigating the pressure cooker of international cricket with the calm precision of someone who understands the mind as well as the game. With over 75 per cent marks in her psychology degree, she has mastered theory—but it’s the practical application that shone brightest against the White Ferns. The start was not as seamless as her early career flares against the West Indies and Ireland. Momentum seemed elusive. Yet, as the game unfolded, Pratika showed composure and grit that have become her hallmark. She is not a product of the Women’s Premier League hype. Her journey has been forged on the hard grounds of domestic cricket with Delhi, tournaments that rarely command the attention or fanfare that the Ranji Trophy or Vijay Hazare Trophy do in the men’s game. Even when she played match-winning knocks, the recognition she deserved was often elusive. Like many greats, Pratika didn’t burst onto the scene as a teenage prodigy. It’s only in her mid-20s that she truly began to rise, quietly but steadily. Anjum Chopra, the first Indian woman to score a century in ODIs, praised her for her unwavering focus, her ability to stick to her game, and her determination to navigate challenging conditions with poise. In Pratika, perseverance isn’t just a trait—it’s a way of life. While speaking to Star Sports, Chopra explained, “For me, Pratika Rawal’s evolution is remarkable. Coming from domestic cricket without WPL experience, she stepped into the international team and made an immediate impact against Ireland and West Indies.” She continued, “Even when conditions were challenging in Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, she hung in there. She continued that form in the first two World Cup matches as well. The effort she’s put in under pressure and expectation is, to me, more significant than just reaching 1000 runs in 23 innings. Yes, that milestone is important, but the effort, especially playing her first World Cup, is top-notch,” Chopra added. Pratika Rawal’s childhood coach, Shravan Kumar, who has also coached Ishant Sharma and Harshit Rana, praised the youngster for her performance as well. Speaking to IANS, Kumar commended Rawal’s consistent outings with the bat, saying, “She has been playing consistently. Many had been critical of her for her scoring rate, saying her strike rate was low, even the coach. But more than strike rate, the consistency with which she has scored matters more. And her strike rate isn’t even that low.”
Aditi Chauhan’s search to create supply-line of quality girls continues
Sudeep Pakrashi: Even after two and a half months of retirement from football, India international Aditi Chauhan’s search for creating a supply line of quality female footballers is continuing. Her Aditi Chauhan Foundation has partnered with She Kicks FC, a second-division women’s football club in Delhi. Her primary goal is to identify, develop, and mentor young female players, enabling them to compete and perform at the international level. To achieve this, the Aditi Chauhan Foundation has held two tournaments, one in Bangalore with six teams and another recently in Kolkata with eight. These events are designed to identify talented female players. Aditi revealed, while speaking to Parallel Sports, “Our idea is to scout potential girls from these tournaments. After Bangalore and Kolkata, tournaments are coming up in Mumbai and Delhi also. Scouting of quality footballers will be done from all these four tournaments, and then we can recruit quality footballers from them for our foundation who will ultimately be played for She Kicks FC as well as we will initiate with the country’s other professional teams for them gradually.” Currently, the Aditi Chauhan Foundation supports 30 girls who receive free training throughout the year, and these girls participate in Delhi’s second-division women’s league. Aditi also informed, her motive is to give local talent exposure to the mainstream of women’s football. Simultaneously, Aditi, who has completed ‘level-1’ goalkeeping license, is keen to work as a goalkeeping coach for the country’s professional teams as well as for the national teams also in the future.
