India’s maiden ICC Women’s ODI World Cup triumph in 2025, sealed with a 52-run victory over South Africa at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, owed much to the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Jemimah Rodrigues, the 25-year-old top-order batter whose unbeaten 127 (134 balls) in the semi-final against Australia propelled India to the final, hailed the WPL as the catalyst that transformed criticism into champion-level resilience.
Retained by Delhi Capitals for ₹2.20 crore in WPL 2026, Rodrigues emphasised how the league’s high-stakes environment equipped the team to conquer pressure, the very weakness that had haunted them for years.
Rodrigues’ journey in the 2025 World Cup, hosted across India and Sri Lanka from September 30 to November 2, exemplified this growth. Her semi-final masterclass on October 30 at DY Patil Stadium chased down Australia’s 339, earning her Player of the Match honours with 14 boundaries. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s 89 (88 balls) complemented the effort, securing a five-wicket win and India’s third final appearance.
Rodrigues finished as India’s third-highest run-scorer with 292 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 101.03 and an average of 58.40, including a century and a half-century across eight matches. In ODIs overall, she boasts 1,749 runs in 56 innings at 89.83 strike rate and 34.98 average, with eight fifties and three tons.
The narrative shifted post-World Cup dramatically, as Rodrigues spoke at Agenda AajTak about the WPL’s role in silencing doubters. India had started strongly, beating Sri Lanka and Pakistan, but stumbled with losses to South Africa, Australia, and England, reviving questions on mental fortitude despite improved infrastructure.
“Everyone was criticising our team, saying that we were not able to handle crunch situations and we were losing under pressure. Everybody was criticising, but not many were able to give solutions,” she reflected, crediting former BCCI secretary Jay Shah for launching the WPL.
Delhi Capitals’ nail-biters, including three last-ball thrillers last season, mirrored international crunch moments. Facing elite overseas bowlers in shared dressing rooms honed their edge. “That’s just when the WPL came in, and it changed the narrative. I think WPL is also the reason why we could cross the hurdle and win the World Cup,” Rodrigues asserted.
This marked a historic first for India at the senior level, with Kaur becoming the first captain to lift an ICC trophy at home. Legends Mithali Raj, Anjum Chopra and Jhulan Goswami, part of the broadcast team, tearfully held the trophy, a poignant nod to pioneers.
As Mumbai Indians (2023, 2025 champions under Kaur) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2024 under Smriti Mandhana) dominated, Delhi Capitals finished runners-up thrice despite topping the tables. WPL 2026, from January 9 to February 5 at DY Patil (phase one) and Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara (phase two), approaches closer, the larger picture of the league promises expansion with two more teams.
The India team reunites soon for a five-match T20I series against Chamari Athapaththu’s Sri Lanka, from December 21-30 in Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram, under coach Amol Muzumdar, another chance to build on WPL-forged steel.
(Quotes sourced from Agenda Aaj Tak)
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