"I am blessed to have spoken to them" - Jemimah Rodrigues on talking with Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant after being dropped
India's Jemimah Rodrigues impressed many with her batting exploits in her comeback match. She scored an unbeaten 36 runs off 27 deliveries and helped her side seal a decisive win in the T20I series opener against Sri Lanka on Thursday (June 23) in Dambulla.
Speaking in the post-match interview, Jemimah Rodrigues mentioned that speaking to Team India stars Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant helped her after she was dropped. She revealed that the two had advised her not to take the selection snub in a negative way.
The 21-year-old said that those words motivated her and helped her in making a comeback. She was dropped from India's squad for the ICC Women's World Cup 2022 earlier this year.
Jemimah Rodrigues stated:
"My journey since the last Sri Lanka tour has not been smooth, it had its ups and downs. I have spoken to Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, they told me these moments will define your career, they told me not to take it (being dropped from the squad before the World Cup) in a negative way. They told me I should take up the challenge and move ahead. I am blessed to have spoken to them.”
The Indian side are currently in Sri Lanka for three T20Is and ODIs each. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side came up with a dominant performance in the T20I series opener at Dambulla to win the contest by 34 runs. Jemimah Rodrigues was adjudged the 'Player of the Match'.
bit.ly/SLvIND-1STWT20I
.@JemiRodrigues bags the Player of the Match award for her solid batting effort. 💪
#TeamIndia begin the tour on a winning note as they beat Sri Lanka by 34 runs in the first #SLvIND T20I. 👏👏
Scorecard 👉 bit.ly/SLvIND-1STWT20I https://t.co/XHKtCMc1mA
"Started preparing right after I was dropped" - Jemimah Rodrigues
The talented youngster opined that she has understood her game better in the last few months. The batter added that she has also become a lot calmer in her approach.
Rodrigues revealed that she wasted no time after getting dropped and started preparing for her comeback right away. She said that her knock against Sri Lanka was a very special one as was back in national colors once again.
Jemimah Rogrigues added:
"I have understood my game better in the four-five months, I have become calmer, I have changed, though my height remains the same. I started preparing right after I was dropped."
She continued:
"This innings means a lot, I was nervous initially but the late cut boundary helped me a lot in easing things up. I am back in the side after 4-5 months or maybe more than that. I was pumped up.”
The second T20I between India and Sri Lanka is scheduled to be played on Saturday, June 25 at Dambulla. The visitors will be aiming to come up with a similar performance in the game as they look to secure a series win.