“It doesn’t matter where you come from. If you are willing to work hard and sacrifice, dreams will come true,” shares Jemimah Rodrigues as her success mantra.
Jemimah Rodrigues, a star in the Indian women’s cricket team, remains grounded amidst the highs and lows, always prioritizing her ability to keep a smile on her face and enjoying her game on the field. As the 2025 Women’s Premier League (WPL) approaches, Jemimah shares her insights on the rise of women’s cricket, her approach to the game, and the values that keep her anchored.
Jemimah Rodrigues acknowledges the significant impact of the WPL and the domestic circuit in unearthing new talent and pushing the boundaries. She also highlighted the significant increase in the level of competitiveness, one of the prime examples of that was the Bengal team who scripted their names into the history books by doing the unthinkable, with a record run-chase of 390 runs against Haryana in the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy in the recently concluded edition.
She also shared her praise for other domestic T20 tournaments for developing the power game in the country. When it comes to the WPL, she views the upcoming edition of the tournament as a valuable opportunity to prepare for the upcoming edition of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, later in the year, which will be hosted by India.
The upcoming season of the WPL will play a crucial role in building confidence and handling pressure situations come the big ICC event of the year, while also understanding the fact that they’ll need to adapt to the change to the longer version of the game.
“For me, the key is reacting to situations and assessing the conditions well. There are times I make mistakes, but It’s also always about growing and learning, and how I can be better in every situation,” Jemimah said about her keenness to keep learning in the process of growth and getting better with experience.
She has scored 361 runs at an impressive strike rate of 143.82 and an outstanding average of 32.81 in 16 innings with the bat for the Delhi Capitals across the first couple of editions of the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
Her tally of runs includes a couple of half-centuries with her best performance with the bat for her franchise so far coming on 5th March 2024 against Mumbai Indians when she scored a cracking unbeaten half-century (69* off 33 balls) as a result, she was also awarded the Player of the Match for her breathtaking performance with the bat for her side.
“It doesn’t matter where you come from. If you are willing to work hard and sacrifice, dreams will come true,” Jemimah Rodrigues emphasised the fact that willingness to work hard and make the required sacrifices is the key to success.
She also spoke about prioritising the team’s needs above personal milestones while also having that hunger to score more tons moving ahead in her career. Jemimah emphasizes the importance of enjoying the game, reminding herself to embrace the joy she felt when she first started playing cricket. She also aspires to create her own legacy which inspires the younger generation, while also continuing to work hard to achieve her goals.
“I’ve always loved responsibility. That helps me enhance my game and take it to another level. I just don’t want to be someone who just tells others what to do; I would rather show it with my actions,” said the stylish Indian middle-order batter on embracing responsibility and wows to lead by example.
The 24-year-old youngster rising to stardom and representing India from the iconic maidans of Mumbai acknowledges the importance of staying true to her roots and values, crediting her upbringing for keeping her grounded. She recognizes God’s role and the support of those around her in her journey.
She will now be seen in action while representing the Delhi Capitals led by skipper Meg Lanning as they brace themselves up to kickstart their campaign in the upcoming 3rd edition of the WPL against the inaugural champions Mumbai Indians led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur in the 2nd game of the tournament on 15th February 2025 (Saturday) from 7:30 PM IST at the Kotambi Stadium, in Vadodara.
(Quotes sourced from HERSTORY)
Loves all things female cricket
