India, Oct. 20 -- Chandigarh

When the attacking Shafali Verma's name did not feature in the Indian squad for the ongoing Women's World Cup, it surprised many. Pratika Rawal was chosen to partner vice-captain and fellow opener Smriti Mandhana.

Rawal had strengthened her case with consistent scores in the ODIs leading into the home World Cup. The Delhi batter showed her potential against teams like Ireland, West Indies, Sri Lanka and South Africa. Her consistency impressed even captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who backed her selection.

Three straight losses in the World Cup against South Africa, Australia and England, however, raises a question - are India missing the quick starts by Verma at the top?

Although she has runs to show, Rawal has b...