I used to think pre-match gym sessions would tire me - Jemimah Rodrigues shares her experience of playing in The Hundred
India batter Jemimah Rodrigues recently opened up about her experiences of playing in the inaugural edition of The Hundred in England. Revealing her teammates' fitness regimen, she explained how different it is from her own routine.
During a conversation with Ravichandran Ashwin on the 'What's Up With Women's Cricket' show on the off-spinner's official YouTube channel, Jemimah Rodrigues disclosed the details about the difference in perception of fitness in Indian women's cricket circles and that of her foreign counterparts.
Ashwin narrated his experience of sharing a dressing room with legendary players like Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey during IPL 2008. He then shed light on how their training routine had an impact on changing his perceptions about the importance of gym sessions and building muscles for a cricketer.
Referencing his experiences, Ashwin asked Jemimah Rodrigues if she had similar experiences while traveling around the world playing in the leagues and sharing the dressing room with players from different countries. To that, Jemimah replied:
"I can relate to this gym thing. I went to the gymming session, and normally these guys do priming sessions before the game. So that's like a warm-up kind of thing, just to get your muscles active. So I was like let's do it, I usually never do it because I used to think it would tire me before the match, my mentality was like that."
She continued:
"When I came here and saw these girls and they were lifting 60kg for just a priming session. And here, my full go-to strength session would be around 35kg. That's where I can completely relate to your IPL experience. If I was not here, I would not know what it is, and I might have been with that limited mindset, that I need to be safe with my routine just before the match.
Jemimah Rodrigues represented the Northern Superchargers team in the Hundred. She was one of the standout performers and finished the tournament as the second-highest run-getter. Jemimah scored 249 runs in just seven games at an average of 41.50 and an astonishing strike rate of 150.90, including three half-centuries, with 92* being her best knock.
"Now I know what fitness standards are" - Jemimah Rodrigues
Jemimah Rodrigues said that she is now aware of the fitness standards of her peers in foreign countries and is keen to improve to the level required to set an example for the people looking up to her in India. In this regard, Jemimah said:
"So now I started doing the priming session every time. Maybe I don't lift as much as them. Soon I will because I know what the fitness standards are, and if I need to set an example when I go back there to India for the people looking up to me, I need to reach there (the fitness levels of foreign players), I can't stay at my level. So since I started doing it, I didn't find any difference. I was not tired during the games. Those are the small things you learn here."
Jemimah Rodrigues is currently in Brisbane along with her Indian teammates. They are currently serving a hard 14-day quarantine there. The three-match ODI series between India and Australia women's teams will commence on September 21.