'WPL has elevated women's cricket in India,' says Jemimah Rodrigues ahead of T20 World Cup

Delhi Capitals' star batter Jemimah Rodrigues, who will represent India in the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024, recently opened up in a candid conversation on the latest episode of the DC podcast. The 24-year-old cricketer shared her thoughts on a wide range of topics, including the team environment at Delhi Capitals, the effect of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) on domestic cricket, and how her father still plays a key role in her game.

Jemimah described the special bond she shares with her Delhi Capitals teammates, calling the team more than just a group of players. 

“It's more than a team. It's a family and everyone feels that. Everyone is valued and loved in the franchise. For me, that is the biggest thing I would love to have in the team. The bond that we have is our biggest strength here in the DC family and it's very evident. A lot of hard work has gone in doing that and it is more to do with our support staff to make this environment such a non-judgmental environment if I can put it that way. You just feel like you can be yourself and you know people love you for," Jemimah said.

Jemimah also spoke about the impact of the WPL on women’s cricket in India. 

“We all hang out together and one of the conversations that popped up 2-3 times is that the domestic level has really gone up in women's cricket after the last WPL. You can see in our domestic level last year is that there have been lots of hundreds, runs, wickets and I say that has happened after the WPL. The level of women's cricket has grown after the WPL. If we continue playing this kind of tournament, it's going to be very beneficial for women's cricket,” she further added.

Jemimah revealed how her father remains a crucial influence on her career, providing feedback after every game. 

"I get feedback from my father after every game. He knows my game inside out and he also knows how I feel what I think because he's seen me and up close and personal. One thing I know about him is that he'll not say things just for the sake of saying things. It's very raw and he is very honest and that's what I like. Before any match, I call him and we pray together. Even before practice sessions, he'll call me, and he'll ask me to practice certain things that might help me in the match," she concluded.