Two months ago, being a part of the Indian women’s cricket team was common for Jemimah Rodrigues, but being a certainty in the eleven was not. She was not considered one of the principal stars. Being a part of the Indian team was uncertain for her, and she was not one of the major performers in Women’s Premier League. The circumstances have changed dramatically for her. She is now one of the principal performers in the Indian cricket team, a captain of Women’s Premier League, and a prominent commercial entity. All this has happened in a remarkably short span of time.
Before the Breakthrough
- Prior to this phase, the career of Jemimah was quite promising yet inconsistent. Even though she had become part of the Indian team seven years ago, it was difficult for her to get a regular spot in all formats of the game. After some good initial performances, her consistency has remained patchy. Consequently, her name was also not shortlisted for the 2021 ODI World Cup.
- However, over the next couple of years, her performances saw improvement, but her selection for the team was still a matter of question. Even during the ODI World Cup, which commenced in October, she was dropped for one match during the group phase. At that point in time, she was not a key member of the squad. The averages of her in both ODI and T20 were around 35 and 30, respectively. She did not enjoy equal fame like other senior members, such as Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Shafali Verma.
The Innings That Changed Everything
- October 30, 2025, was a decisive date for Jemimah. Scoring an unbeaten 127 in the World Cup semi-final against Australia, she led India to an successful chase of 339 runs. This was one of the highest targets chased in the history of the tournament. This led her side to the final.
- India further won the Women’s ODI World Cup on November 2, 2025. Even though the final win marked history for the team, it is the semi-final knock by Jemimah that has turned out to be the defining experience for her as an individual.
Strong Performances After World Cup
Jemimah has carried on performing in the same way as she had in the World Cup. Playing T20 international matches against Sri Lanka, she had scoring innings. In the first match, she remained undefeated with 69 runs in 44 deliveries, receiving the Player of the Match award. However, in the second match, she scored 26 runs in 15 deliveries in an aggressive way. Her batting performance demonstrates greater confidence.
Leadership Role in the WPL
- This is also the time during which Jemimah was handed a huge chance in leadership. She is now assigned the captaincy position at the Delhi Capitals. The previous captain was Meg Lanning. At the age of 25, Jemimah will now be the captain of a professional franchise.
- This could affect her future in international leadership roles. As Harmanpreet Kaur is close to the latter part of her career and Smriti Mandhana is now in her 30s, Jemimah could potentially become an option to lead India in the future if she performs well.
Increasing Brand Value
Jemimah has been in the limelight just as much away from her cricketing activities since the World Cup trophy. The popularity of her brand was already evident before the World Cup victory. However, her brand has been worth much more after the World Cup. Currently, Jemimah is one of the most marketable players in her team, after Harmanpreet and Smriti. She is playing for India in all formats of cricket. She is known not only for her batting but her fielding skills as well. Her confidence levels seem to be up, having increased ever since World Cup. Looking at her current performances, her career is all geared up for further progress.
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