"You don't have to be a Harmanpreet Kaur or a Smriti Mandhana" - Jemimah Rodrigues' words of motivation
Jemimah Rodrigues played a match-winning knock as India Women thrashed Barbados Women by 100 runs in a must-win game to book a semi-final berth on Wednesday (August 3) at the ongoing Commonwealth Games (CWG 2022) in Birmingham.
Promoted to bat at No.3, Jemimah (56* off 46) added two significant partnerships with Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma to propel her side to 162/4 in the regulated 20 overs. In the end, it proved to be too much for the Hayley Matthews-led Barbados side. Jemimah's knock had a touch of class written all over it as she pierced the gaps perfectly and ran ones and twos fast to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Throwing light on her knock, the young right-handed batter is well aware of her abilities and finds no reason to change her game to replicate power-hitters like Harmanpreet Kaur. Addressing reporters after the final Group A game, Jemimah said:
"Smriti had told me long back in the IPL [Women's T20 Challenge] in 2019 that you don't have to be a Harmanpreet Kaur or a Smriti Mandhana. You have to be a Jemimah Rodrigues. I think I have understood that role and it's helping me."
From win against Barbados to watching @Pvsindhu1 and the women’s @TheHockeyIndia team in action! 👏 👏
@JemiRodrigues, @Deepti_Sharma06 and Renuka Singh discuss it all as #TeamIndia seal a place in the #B2022 semifinal. 👍 👍 #INDvBAR
Full interview 🎥 🔽 https://t.co/KVhNdUzWn6
She has been in and out of the team in the recent past. However, Jemimah has tried to put her best foot forward every time an opportunity has come her way.
The Mumbai-born cricketer has no reservations about accepting that power-hitting is not her strong suit, but admitted that she is working on that skill set to contribute more in the T20 format. She added:
"Definitely, I've worked on my power game, but more than that, I've understood my game better. I'm not a power-hitter, I'm a placer. I can hit the (gaps for) singles and doubles well; I know how to maneuver the field. I think that is my strength."
"It's my position" - Jemimah Rodrigues on batting at No.3
Jemimah also highlighted head coach Ramesh Powar's role in promoting her to No.3, which she believes is her ideal position to flourish.
"Ramesh [Powar] sir had told me after the last game to be prepared for No. 3," she said. "Honestly, when I was preparing, I was ready for both. Even when I was preparing in the nets, with our side-arm (throwdown) specialist, I was prepared for both, because you never know, the team can need me anywhere and I should be ready for that," Jemimah continued.
"But definitely, I love No. 3. It's my position. [I'm] glad I got to play there and contribute to the team, contribute to the plan, and it worked out well for the team," she concluded.
Deepti Sharma and Jemimah Rodrigues are a pretty decent T20 batting pair, it seems! #SLvIND #B2022 #TheYoungUns #RunaHardAndDive
Jemimah Rodrigues will hope to keep the momentum going in the semi-finals as India eye the Commonwealth Games gold medal.