[WATCH] "Now people don't care if it's a men's or women's team" - Jemimah Rodrigues shares her motivation ahead of Women's T20 World Cup 2024
In an interaction with Star Sports, Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues has expressed her happiness seeing the growth of Indian women's cricket in the last few years. As per Jemimah, people now don't care whether it's a men's or women's team, rather they see both of them as Indian teams.
The rise can be credited to the Indian team's consistent performance in international circuit. Moreover, the success of Women's Premier League (WPL) has also been the driving force behind the surge in popularity of women's cricket in the country.
Jemimah hailed former players, Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, for sowing the seed for the Indian women's team. She feels the duo are the reason people got to know about women's cricket, and the current generation is enjoying the fruits of their hard work.
Further, Jemimah Rodrigues shared the turning point behind the growth of Indian women's cricket. Jemimah feels the excitement of people to watch their games keeps her hunger intact to contribute consistently for the Indian team. She said:
"When we started playing cricket, at least for me personally, the only two names I knew were Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj. I didn't even know how they looked honestly, because there were no televised games. They did it without the recognition, without the fame, we are enjoying the fruits of what they have sown. Because of them, we have come here."
Jemimah added:
"Now there's Smriti [Mandhana], Harmanpreet [Kaur], you know the next generation that's come, I mean everyone knows about women's cricket. One of the things that have changed since the last few years is the excitement to see our games.
"Now people are coming and telling we don't care if it's a men's or women's team, we see the Indian team playing. That excitement, that josh that we get is I think the turning point and we are part of this generation, I think that is the biggest motivation for us."
Jemimah Rodrigues will be a key player for India in Women's T20 World Cup 2024
Last month, the BCCI announced the 15-member squad for the Women's T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in the UAE from October 3 to 20. Jemimah Rodrigues, who is a clutch performer, also found a place in the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side.
In the last edition of the Women's T20 World Cup in 2023, Jemimah garnered 129 runs in five innings at an average of 32.25. Although she slammed 43 off 24 in the semifinal, the Women in Blue fell short by five runs against Australia. Nevertheless, the star batter will look to maintain consistency and help India win their maiden title.