As the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) season approaches, all eyes are on Jemimah Rodrigues, not just for her batting exploits, but for the calm confidence with which she’s taken on the captaincy of Delhi Capitals Women. After three straight final appearances without lifting the trophy, Rodrigues carries both the weight of those narrow defeats and the belief that this season could finally be theirs.
Rodrigues is refreshingly open about what the journey has meant to her personally. Reflecting on the dressing room atmosphere after their third final loss, she recalled how powerful the silence felt. “Everyone was really sad… But I think everyone just felt like the silence spoke a lot that day, you know? It still hurts and we can’t believe it’s happened time and time again with us.”
That pain, however, hasn’t left her bitter or burdened, it’s become part of her motivation. Rather than shying away from the experience of coming so close without success, she’s leaned into it. She believes that failures “are not a failure when you learn something from it. Then it’s actually a win.” In her view, those heartbreaks have shaped her both as a player and as a leader, strengthening her belief that when the right moments arrive, the team will be ready.
Rodrigues also spoke openly about the influence of her predecessor as Delhi Capitals captain, Meg Lanning. Lanning guided the franchise to successive finals before switching teams to UP Warriorz. Rodrigues didn’t hesitate to express her admiration, “Meg has been one of the greatest captains I’ve ever played under… What she’s done for Delhi Capitals has just been phenomenal.”
One pivotal lesson came from watching Lanning’s composure in tight finishes, an approach she’s keen to blend with her own instincts. But Rodrigues isn’t looking to simply imitate what came before; she’s intent on forging her own leadership style. She openly discusses the contrasting captaincy traits she’s observed from peers across the WPL, from aggressive on-field leadership to tactical calm, and how each has helped shape her thinking.
Rodrigues also refuses to be defined by the “chokers” tag that’s sometimes attached to teams that falter in finals. Drawing a parallel with the Indian women’s cricket team’s historic rise, which saw them shed a similar tag on the world stage, she emphasises belief over labels. “We keep believing that our time is now.” Those words capture the essence of her message: belief isn’t blind optimism, but a deeply rooted confidence built from hard lessons, clear reflection, and a relentless drive to improve.
Off the field, her evolution from a promising young batter into a mature leader is evident in every interaction. She speaks as someone who genuinely understands that leadership isn’t about authority, but about empathy, experience, and connection. Drawing from emotional lows, both in franchise cricket and on the global stage, she holds nothing back about what it means to grow and adapt.
As Delhi Capitals Women’s captain in their quest for a maiden WPL title, Rodrigues stands at a unique crossroads, between a legacy of near-success and the promise of a breakthrough. Her words resonate not only with her teammates but with every fan who has felt the sting of defeat and the hope of redemption.
If this season really is theirs, it will be because of the belief she embodies, faith in collective potential, resilience through adversity, and the unwavering conviction that the best is still ahead.
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