[Watch] Team India's Jemimah Rodrigues awarded Fielder of the Match medal for her display against NZ in 2024 Women's T20 World Cup

Indian star Jemimah Rodrigues was adjudged the fielder of the match in the team's 2024 Women's T20 World Cup opening clash against New Zealand on Friday, October 4. Rodrigues was in charge of the hotspots in the deep and proved once again why she is among the best fielders in the squad.

The Women in Blue had endured a horrid start fielding-wise in the contest at the Dubai International Stadium. New Zealand had capitalized on Renuka Singh Thakur's misfield that went to the boundary and Richa Ghosh's dropped catch to give Suzie Bates a reprieve.

However, the fielding quality improved as the innings progressed. Smriti Mandhana and Shreyanka Patil held onto chances in the deep after the powerplay, but Jemimah made her presence felt with some important athletic stops in the deep.

Fielding coach Munish Bali hailed how the team bounced back after the initial set of misfields. Acknowledging Smriti Mandhana and Shreyanka Patil's contribution, the coach asked skipper Harmanpreet Kaur to announce the medal winner.

Have a look at Jemimah Rodrigues with the prize right here:

Jemimah Rodrigues was also the second-leading run scorer during India's run chase. She scored 13 runs off 11 deliveries.

Team India lost to New Zealand by 58 runs in the Group A contest

After being assigned to a tough group, the Women in Blue needed a strong start to get going in the World Cup. However, their campaign took a turn for the worse from the word go after being outplayed by New Zealand. India were slight favorites against the Sophie Devine-led side who came into the World Cup on a 10-match losing streak.

However, India were rocked back by the opponent's sparkling intent and could not match it. The demoralizing nature of the defeat has also led to India's net run rate being down to -2.900 with four games remaining.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will next face Pakistan on Sunday, October 6.

​