Jemimah Rodrigues continued her World Cup form as India began their preparations for the next on Sunday. In the IND-W vs SL-W 1st T20I, Rodrigues anchored the India chase to perfection with an unbeaten half-century in Vishakhapatnam. The 25-year-old remained unbeaten on 69 off just 44 balls, helping the Women in Blue seal the chase more than 5 overs to spare.
Rodrigues was one of the stars of India's maiden Women's World Cup win earlier this year. She had scored a match-winning century in the semi-final against Australia which set the tone for India's success in the tournament. Now back in India colours albeit in a different format, Jemimah showcased that her runs had not deserted her.
Coming into bat at the fall of Shafali Verma's wicket, Rodrigues built a fine partnership with vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. With the left-hander struggling for rhythm, the 25-year-old kept the scoreboard ticking with a flurry of boundaries. India scored 55 in the powerplay despite Mandhana scoring at run-a-ball.
She then added another 50-run partnership with captain Harmanpreet Kaur for the third wicket. Jemimah well settled at the crease, was a bit more adventurous, including hitting four boundaries in the over off Shashini Gimhani. It was a memorable half-century, her 14th in the format. It was her 4th against Sri Lanka, the joint most by an Indian alongside former India skipper Mithali Raj.
Jemimah returned to action having cut short her WBBL stint. After the Women's World Cup in November, Rodrigues had signed up with Brisbane Heat. She returned to attend Smriti Mandhana's wedding which was later cancelled. The Mumbai star then stayed back to support her friend.
Rodrigues did not have the best of times in the WBBL, but has found her mojo back in India colours. With 6 months to go for the Women's T20 World Cup 2026, she will aim to carry that into the tournament in England next year.
