Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: Jemimah Rodrigues, in an exclusive talk with Indiatoday.in, stated that the Indian women’s squad has taken inspiration from the Indian men’s triumph and will be seeking to compete well in the ICC competition in the United Arab Emirates.
June was a dream come true for the Indian men’s squad. After a 17-year break, the Men in Blue won the T20 World Cup, providing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma with the ultimate send-off in T20Is. The stage is set again, this time for the other Indian squad and its stalwart, Jemimah Rodrigues, has displayed comparable heights in the Women’s T20 World Cup.
Fans crowded the Marine Drive, cheering their heroes on with gusto, giving Rohit’s players a fantastic reception in Mumbai. The cricket players were beaming joyfully at the enormous crowd, creating an atmosphere that was, to put it mildly, strange. Furthermore, Shafali Verma guided the U19 squad to victory in the T20 World Cup in South Africa last year, but the senior team has yet to win an ICC Cup.
The 24-year-old Jemimah has always imagined herself leading India beyond the finish line if and when they make it to Finals Day on 20 October at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. She draws inspiration from both the men and the girls. Since she was a teenager, Jemimah has watched Indian women’s cricket experience many highs and lows. She believes that winning the trophy would be especially special for India Women.
100 percent. We do dream of sitting on that bus at Marine Lines, so it’s good to keep having such dreams. I’ve played cricket there a lot and drawn large audiences. Jemimah stated, “But above all, we want to win the World Cup for India,” outside of a New Delhi fashion brand QUA promotional event.
It is the first for the women’s squad, but the U19 girls had accomplished it. It seems like a strange feeling to do something alone. Indeed, the men’s team has served as a great source of motivation for us, and it was amazing to watch what they accomplished. Hopefully, we will be able to do the same, she stated.
Concentrating on your strengths
Jemimah has participated in three versions of the major tournament and witnessed India advance each time to the semifinals. India, though, never once succeeded in going all the way. Australians defeated them in the final in 2020 and the semis in 2023, despite losing to England in the 2018 semifinals. Both times, Meg Lanning and company came out on top, and Harmanpreet Kaur’s women came up short.
This time, Australia does not have Lanning, who ended her international career last year despite leading the team to five ICC titles as captain. Instead of pondering over other influences, Jemimah stated that India is concentrating on enhancing its own advantages. No World Cup team should be undervalued in the eyes of the young player.
First and foremost, we won’t be overly preoccupied with our opponents. We’re going to focus on our strong points, make good preparations, and adhere to our procedure precisely in order to achieve the intended outcomes. Jemimah stated that no team, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, England, or Australia, should be taken lightly.
Every squad enters the World Cup with the intention of winning. India agrees, and we are concentrating on our advantages rather than our rivals. “Once we follow that, everything else will fall into place,” she said.
First and foremost, we won’t be overly preoccupied with our opponents. We’re going to focus on our strong points, make good preparations, and adhere to our procedure precisely in order to achieve the intended outcomes. Jemimah stated that no team, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, England, or Australia, should be taken lightly.
Jemimah trained with the Trinbago Knight Riders in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) before to competing in the World Cup. She was only able to get 105 runs at a strike-rate of 108.24 on difficult batting surfaces. However, TKR advanced to the finals thanks to her unbeaten 59 against the Barbados Royals in a match that had to be won.
As Jemimah batted at number three, her blow helped the Knight Riders chase down 131 in 19.4 overs. The right-hander struck Hayley Matthews for a four and then took a single to give her team the victory they needed with four balls remaining. Naturally, after her valiant performance at the Brian Lara Stadium, Jemimah’s confidence has increased.
Each knock was crucial because it teaches you so much more, including the obvious knock. Actually, for us, it was a semi-final rather than a final. I felt so much more confident and empowered after that knock. Nothing compares to leading your team to victory in the end of a match and unexpectedly advancing them to the finals. Thus, Jemimah said, that knock was really unique.
Clearly defined roles and self-assurance
Prior to this, Bangladesh—where Jemimah and the Indians have played a lot of cricket—was supposed to host the Women’s T20 World Cup. However, as political unrest swept the nation, the competition was moved outside of the country. The 2021 men’s edition was held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which will instead host the next championship.
The Women’s T20 challenge took place in 2020 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. After scoring just 21 runs in three games, average a catastrophic seven for the Supernovas, Jemimah doesn’t have many fond memories of her time spent playing in the United Arab Emirates.
Aside from that, she doesn’t have much experience playing in the United Arab Emirates, nor do the other Indian female cricket players. But Jemimah claimed that participating in the CPL had given her confidence that she could adjust to the climate in the Gulf nation.
Conditions in the UAE will differ significantly from those in the CPL. The pitches in the CPL were difficult, but I felt very confident because I was able to adjust to the circumstances. My ability to play on various surfaces is something I will carry with me to the World Cup. Jemimah stated that she is “very clear about my role in the Indian team” and that she intends to stick to it.
On October 4 in Dubai, Jemimah and India will take on Sophie Devine’s New Zealand in the Women’s T20 World Cup.
QUA and Jemimah Rodrigues’ association
Before playing in the T20 World Cup, Jemimah just inked a contract with QUA for their “Modern Heroine” campaign. The ad honours strong, driven, and tough women who have advanced the idea of strength in both athletics and daily life. A modern-day heroine is someone who shatter barriers, challenges expectations, and motivates the next generation. The photo shoot effectively showcases the determined approach and mentality of the Indian cricket player.
