India batter Jemimah Rodrigues says the team’s preparation for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 began almost immediately after lifting the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, as the side now targets a second successive global title.
Speaking on the sidelines of the IISM convocation, which she attended alongside India women’s head coach Amol Muzumdar, Rodrigues said the current campaign has been part of a long-term plan rather than a short build-up.
“I think the preparation is great and it just didn’t start after the squad came out. The first series itself we played against Sri Lanka after winning the 2025 World Cup. That day Amol sir also came and said, ‘This is where we start for the next World Cup.’ So I think our preparation is going great,” Rodrigues said.
India head into the T20 World Cup after a packed calendar that has tested them in varying conditions. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side secured a memorable 2-1 T20I series win in Australia, one of their finest overseas achievements in the format, before suffering a 4-1 defeat in South Africa.
Rodrigues has been one of India’s key contributors during that phase, continuing to grow into a dependable middle-order presence. While India’s explosive openers often grab headlines, Rodrigues has increasingly become the batter who knits innings together and controls momentum. Her most significant recent contribution came in the deciding third T20I against Australia. With the series on the line, Rodrigues compiled a composed 59 off 46 balls, striking four boundaries. Her innings steadied India after early pressure and laid the platform for a winning total, helping the visitors clinch a landmark series triumph on Australian soil.
She followed that with another timely contribution on the South Africa tour. In the fourth T20I, Rodrigues made 43 off 29 deliveries at a strike rate of 148.27, hitting four fours and two sixes. At a time when India were trying to stay alive in the series, her innings provided much-needed fluency and intent through the middle overs.
Those performances built on the biggest knock of her career so far, the magnificent 127 she scored in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup semi-final against Australia. On the sport’s grandest stage, Rodrigues produced a composed and commanding century. Rodrigues has developed into a batter capable of adjusting to situations, absorbing pressure and accelerating when required.
India’s batting line-up now features multiple dimensions — explosive starts through Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, finishing power from Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh, and control in the middle overs through Rodrigues. Her role could be especially crucial in English conditions, where movement early on often means middle-order batters must rebuild before attacking late.
Rodrigues also said India’s previous World Cup triumph has only increased the squad’s hunger. “I think it’s a bigger motivation now since we have won one, we want to make it two. So, looking forward to it,” she said.
She also reflected on the broader growth of Indian sport. “It was very inspiring for us, and I think the future of sports in India is bright — not just in cricket but in all fields. I can’t wait to see where it is going from here,” Rodrigues added.
India travel to England with confidence, experience and renewed ambition. If they are to challenge for another global crown, Rodrigues’ calmness and consistency in pressure situations could once again prove invaluable. India will next tour England for a three-match T20I series starting on May 28, which will serve as their final major preparation before the World Cup. Their campaign at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will begin on June 14 against Pakistan, in what is set to be one of the marquee fixtures of the group stage.
Source: IANS
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