Star Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues is representing Trinbago Knight Riders Women in the ongoing season of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). She made her debut for the Shah Rukh Khan-owned side on Thursday (August 22) against the Barbados Royals and scored 16 runs from 11 balls as a No. 3 batter.
The 23-year-old right-handed batter, who is going to be a key player for the Indian women’s cricket team in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, which is set to take place in the United Arab Emirates from October 3, is looking at the CPL as a tournament that will help her fine-tune her skills and get into the groove.
Ahead of her CPL debut, Jemimah spoke to reporters in a round-table media conference where she opened up about her upcoming plans and explained why CPL is an important tournament for her in terms of preparations for the upcoming shortest-format mega event.
According to Jemimah, who has 2074 runs to her name in 100 T20Is played so far, CPL will give her an opportunity to implement new things that she has added to her kitty.
“I think these are the matches that I’m actually going to get before going and playing properly matches and stuff. The rest will be my own preparation or the practice matches I play. So, I’m really looking forward to it—really looking forward to, you know, a few things that I’m working on trying and implementing here. Because when you do it in practice, it’s different, but when you do it in a match, it’s way different.”
For the star Indian batter, playing in franchise cricket is always an exciting thing because it provides her an opportunity to play in different conditions and situations.
“Franchise cricket has always excited me. I love meeting new people and new cricketers and getting to know them, how their minds work, how to play in different conditions and different aspects. Because every time you go play cricket, you don’t get the same kind of situation. It changes every time, and the more you’re in that situation and in those pressure moments, I think that’s the best preparation you can have.”
“So, for me, I look at it more as a preparation for the T20 World Cup and, at the same time, an added responsibility playing for TKR to do whatever I can to make sure my team wins at the end. So, I’m just looking forward to playing these matches, and I’m very excited for that,” she added.
Jemimah has batted in various positions so far in her 150-match-long T20 career. When asked about how she prepares for batting, she said, “For me, batting order doesn’t make a huge difference. It’s all about playing to the situation of the team and the conditions, and in the end, it doesn’t matter if Jimmy bats open or bats at 11. My team, which I’m playing for, has to win. That’s the entire mindset I have, and that’s the entire perspective that I try to keep.”
“So yes, even when I practice, I practice in different situations, which helps me be prepared for wherever I need to bat in any game,” she added.
Jemimah made her debut for India in T20Is against South Africa in Potchefstroom on February 13, 2018. She was part of the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side that reached the final of the 2020 T20 World Cup and the semifinals of the 2018 and 2023 T20 World Cups.
Apart from that she has also featured in 18 Women’s Premier League matches for the Delhi Capitals, 19 Hundred matches for Northern Superchargers and 20 Women’s Big Bash League matches for Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades.
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