The euphoria of November 2, 2025, is still etched in the minds of cricket fans across India. For the Women in Blue, winning the 50-over World Cup was a historic moment, but the players’ jubilation was short-lived. That triumph was a spark rather than a finish line for Jemimah Rodrigues and her companions. The team’s goal has changed from appreciating the past to dominating the future as they get ready to travel to England for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Rodrigues stated during the IISM Degree Distribution Ceremony that the team is not content to have just one trophy on the mantle. She embodied the current atmosphere in the locker room while standing next to head coach Amol Muzumdar. “I think it’s a bit of motivation now. Since we’ve won one, we want to win two,” she remarked, signaling a shift in the team’s psyche from being “contenders” to becoming a “dynasty.”
The coaching staff instilled this unwavering determination as soon as the ODI championship was won, so it’s not a fresh development. Jemimah asserts that there was no time of “taking it easy” or complacency with the switch to the T20 format. “Our preparation has been strong. It didn’t just begin after the squad announcement,” she explained. “Right after the 2025 World Cup, during our first series against Sri Lanka, coach Amol Muzumdar told us, ‘This is where we start for the next World Cup.’ So we’ve been preparing from day one.”
The incorporation of new talent, particularly the uncapped bowler Nandani Sharma, has been a key focus of this training. Sharma has already gained the confidence of her senior counterparts after an incredible Women’s Premier League season in which she claimed 17 wickets.
The teenage speedster is regarded as a tactical ace after playing for the Delhi Capitals under Jemimah’s leadership. “Nandani has been fantastic for us,” Rodrigues noted. “She proved herself not just in one game, but consistently across matches. With the experience in this squad, we’re confident she’ll flourish on the big stage.”
The absence of the powerful Amanjot Kaur is one of the challenges on the path to the title. Her absence as a seam-bowling all-rounder, sidelined by injury for almost six months, presents a tactical challenge for Muzumdar to overcome. “She is injured and it is very difficult to replace somebody like Amanjot. She has been doing consistently well for India,” the coach admitted. “We will miss her for sure, but injuries are part of the game… I hope she recovers well and comes back stronger. She is difficult to replace but that is the way it goes.”
India is in a formidable pool that includes Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, and Pakistan; despite this loss, the team is still committed to the difficult challenge ahead in Group A. India will begin their campaign against bitter rivals Pakistan on June 14 in the competition, which begins on June 12. The goal is straightforward: demonstrate that the 2025 success was only the start of a golden age for Indian women’s cricket with a mix of seasoned champions and eager novices.
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