Indian cricketer Prema Rawat, a member of the Women’s Asia Cup-winning squad and a player for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), has a special connection with the Indian Air Force. Her cricketing journey began at the sports ground of Air Force Station Bareilly, where she took her early steps in the sport before progressing to the Indian team and the international cricket arena.
The right-handed batter and right-arm leg-break bowler hails from Uttarakhand and developed her sporting abilities across multiple disciplines before committing herself fully to cricket. She also played hockey during her early sporting years, eventually choosing cricket as her primary pursuit.
Rawat’s connection with the Indian Air Force comes through her father, Kedar Singh Rawat, who is serving with the IAF. The sports ground at Air Force Station Bareilly became an important setting in her early cricketing journey, providing the environment in which she began developing her skills.
From those early beginnings, Rawat progressed through domestic cricket and established herself as a promising all-round cricketing talent, combining her batting ability with right-arm leg-spin. She currently represents Uttarakhand in domestic cricket and has also made her mark in India’s premier women’s T20 competition.
Ahead of the 2025 Women’s Premier League season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru acquired Rawat for ₹1.2 crore. Her selection by the franchise marked a major milestone in her professional career and gave her the opportunity to compete alongside leading domestic and international players in the WPL.
Rawat subsequently continued her progression through the India A pathway. In August 2025, she was added to the India A women’s squad for the tour of Australia across all three formats following injuries to Shreyanka Patil and Priya Mishra. Her performances for India A also included an important contribution to the Women’s Asia Cup Rising Stars campaign, where she claimed eight wickets in five matches during India’s victorious campaign.
Her progress eventually led to a senior India call-up. In June 2026, Rawat was named in India’s squad for the remainder of the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup as a replacement for the injured Shreyanka Patil. She subsequently made her Women’s Twenty20 International debut, marking another step in her progression from domestic cricket to the international stage.
Rawat’s rise has therefore encompassed several levels of the women’s cricketing structure, from her early days playing at an Air Force station in Bareilly and domestic cricket for Uttarakhand to India A, the WPL and the senior Indian team.
Her inclusion in the Women’s Asia Cup-winning squad added another significant achievement to that journey. Representing India at the international level after beginning her cricketing development at an IAF sporting facility has given her story a distinctive connection with the service’s sporting ecosystem.
The Indian Air Force highlighted this connection while recognising Rawat’s achievements. She was felicitated by Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, in recognition of her accomplishments in cricket.
The felicitation brought together two aspects of Rawat’s journey: her association with the Indian Air Force through her father and her sporting progression that began on an IAF sports ground. It also highlighted the contribution of sporting facilities and opportunities at service establishments towards encouraging young talent.
Sports have traditionally formed an important part of the broader culture of the armed forces, promoting physical fitness, discipline, teamwork and competitive spirit. Air Force stations across the country maintain sporting facilities that provide personnel and, in appropriate circumstances, members of their wider communities opportunities to participate in different disciplines.
Rawat’s story illustrates how an early sporting opportunity can become the foundation for a much larger journey. From playing cricket at Air Force Station Bareilly, she progressed through Uttarakhand cricket, India A and the WPL before earning recognition at the international level.
Her ₹1.2 crore WPL acquisition, India A performances, Asia Cup Rising Stars campaign, senior India selection and international debut represent successive stages in that development. Her role as a leg-spinner also adds a specialised dimension to her cricketing profile.
For the Indian Air Force, felicitating Rawat also represents recognition of sporting excellence associated with its wider community. Her achievement provides an example of how sporting aspirations can develop through dedication and sustained competitive exposure.
From the IAF sporting grounds of Bareilly to the Indian women’s cricket team and the international arena, Prema Rawat’s journey reflects the progression of a young sportsperson through India’s increasingly competitive women’s cricket structure. Her story remains closely linked to the Air Force environment where her cricketing journey first took shape, making her achievements a notable connection between India’s sporting and defence communities.
