Jemimah Rodrigues

Hailing from the city of dreams, Jemimah Rodrigues is a classy top-order batter who plays professional cricket for the Indian Women’s National Team. The young, charismatic batter showed sporting brilliance and potential to be a cricketer at the age of 16 when she scored a double-hundred in the Women’s U-19 50-over cricket.

Jemimah became the captain of Mumbai’s U-19 side and has also featured for Mumbai’s U-23, senior side, and India’s U-19 team. She has played consistently well for the Mumbai U-19, and was the highest run-getter in the year 2016-17 and 2017-18 in the domestic circuit.

In the 2016-17 season, she scored 665 runs over 10 innings. In the following season, she bettered her performance by scoring 1,013 runs, which included five centuries and a double-century. After an impressive show in domestic cricket, the blue jersey came calling.

She became the only cricketer after Smriti Mandhana to score a double-ton, which earned her maiden call-up to the India A side. After her domestic exploits, she made her debut in the T20 side against South Africa in February 2018. She scored a crucial 37 runs and partnered with Mithali Raj, her idol, to see India chase out the total with ease. Jemimah scored her first T20I half-century against Australia in March 2018. Then against Sri Lanka, she wrote history to become the first Indian woman to hit three consecutive sixes. 

Rodrigues received her first ODI cap from Harmanpreet Kaur in Vadodara in March 2018. However, she faced a hard task, as she could only score just 1 in 8 balls in her debut ODI. In October 2018, at the age of just 18, she was named in India’s squad for the 2018 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup held in the West Indies. In her first match, Jemimah scored 59 against the NZ women. 

She was also part of the Indian squad in the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which the Indians lost to Australia in a highly anticipated fixture in front of a landmark 86,174 crowd.

Known mostly for an aggressive type of cricket, Jemimah is also known for her capability of building a partnership. She can play anywhere in the batting order and can be a valuable asset when it comes to spin bowling.

With her willow writing poetry in motion, she took center stage in The Hundred 2021l. Representing the Northern Superchargers, she lit up the competition with a masterclass in timing and composure. Her unbeaten 92* against Welsh Fire was a performance carved in finesse, anchoring her spot as the tournament's second-highest run-scorer with 249 runs at an average of 41.50. More than just numbers, it was a signal that Jemimah could sparkle on any stage, in any condition.

Later that year, her journey took her Down Under, where she joined the Melbourne Renegades in the Women’s Big Bash League. It was a move that added another layer to her growing international resume.

At the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022—a historic tournament that marked women’s cricket’s debut—she was the heartbeat of India’s top order. Calm under pressure and graceful under the spotlight, Jemimah stitched crucial innings through the campaign, helping guide India to a silver medal finish.

Her standout knock came in the semifinal against England, where she struck a composed 44* off 31 balls—navigating a tense chase with poise and precision. That innings wasn't just a statistic; it was a statement of maturity, adaptability, and intent. With a total of 146 runs in five matches at an average nearing 49, Jemimah reaffirmed her place as India’s glue in the middle order—calm, composed, and ever dependable when the lights burn brightest.

In the historic inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League, Delhi Capitals placed their faith in her flair and finesse, securing her services for a handsome INR 2.2 crore. Jemimah didn’t disappoint. Slotting into the middle order like a puzzle piece, she compiled 235 runs at an average of 39.16, often coming in when the stakes were high and the tempo tight. Her fluent strokeplay and calculated aggression were instrumental in propelling Delhi Capitals all the way to the final.

But perhaps the more poetic milestone came later that year in December, when she pulled on the whites for the first time. Earning her maiden Test cap against England, Jemimah stepped into the most traditional format of the game, a space where patience, technique, and temperament rule. It was the beginning of a new chapter—one that signified her evolution from a young prodigy to a multi-format mainstay for India.

In 2024, Jemimah Rodrigues continued to chart new territory in franchise cricket, spreading her batting brilliance across continents. She made waves in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) after joining the Trinbago Knight Riders, where she produced a match-winning knock of 59*—a perfectly timed innings that guided her side into the final and showcased her ability to thrive in pressure moments, even on unfamiliar Caribbean pitches.

Her growing repute as a global T20 asset soared further when she was snapped up as a platinum pick by Brisbane Heat for the 2024–25 Women’s Big Bash League season. 

In the 2025 edition of the WPL, Jemimah Rodrigues remained a key figure for the Delhi Capitals. While the numbers may not have reached towering heights, her contributions were quietly crucial, scoring 146 runs in 8 innings, including a composed 56, she anchored the middle-order with her characteristic fluency and grace under pressure. Her performances were a reminder that value in cricket isn’t always loud—it’s often found in the steadiness between the fireworks.

Her international form, however, roared louder. In the Women's Tri-Nation ODI Series, Jemimah unfurled one of her finest innings in blue, crafting a brilliant 123 against South Africa. It was not just a career-best score but a match-defining effort that propelled India into the final, reaffirming her ability to rise when the stakes were highest.

As Jemimah moves forward, her journey is one of continued evolution—from precocious prodigy to composed match-winner. With her poise at the crease and expanding global credentials, she seems poised to take on bigger leadership roles, potentially shaping the next era of Indian women’s cricket with both bat and voice.

(As of May 2025)