The top-order batter is yet to feature in India’s ongoing multi-format tour of Australia, but is expected to line up for the T20Is
India batter Jemimah Rodrigues has signed with Melbourne Renegades for her maiden stint at the WBBL.
She becomes the fifth Indian to be confirmed for the seventh season of the WBBL, with the recruitment of Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma (Sydney Thunder) and Shafali Verma and Radha Yadav (Sydney Sixers) announced earlier in the week. ESPNcricinfo understands at least two more Indian signings are yet to be made public by the clubs.
Rodrigues, who is part of India’s squad for the ongoing multi-format tour of Australia, was the second-highest run-scorer at the Hundred in the UK, where she made 249 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 150.90. Her form at the competition helped her overcome a disappointing run with India side against England as she played only two ODIs, making 8 and 4, and was dropped for the T20Is altogether.
In Australia, she didn’t feature in the ODI leg of the tour and is likely to face stiff competition from Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Punam Raut for a place in the XI of the pink-ball Test starting Thursday. She is, however, is expected to be in the reckoning for a return to the T20I side.
“I’m very excited to be here now and to be part of the Renegades,” Rodrigues said. “I think for me, the main goal over here will be just to pull back and play cricket, play some good cricket and enjoy what I’m doing. I know when I do that and when I’m in that headspace, I’m able to give it my best.
“The goal is whatever happens, I want to give it my 100 percent each and every time I’m on the field…I’m really looking forward to it and there’s so much that I’m going to learn, I’m sure about that.”
Renegades head coach Simon Helmot was hopeful Rodrigues, a top-order batter who can bowl offspin while adding high value as a fielder, can have a big impact on the side’s campaign this season with them having finished seventh in the previous edition.
“Jemimah is an immensely talented young player, who is already making her mark on the world stage at 21,” Helmot said. “She was superb recently in The Hundred over in the UK. Jemimah is a dynamic player who can score quickly and to all parts of the ground.”
Rodrigues, 21, is the second overseas player confirmed by Renegades after the uncapped English allrounder Eve Jones also joined the club. With Lizelle Lee having left and the New Zealand duo Amy Satterthwaite and Lea Tahuhu off contract, Rodrigues and Jones will be part of a revamped bracket of internationals for Renegades, who have handed Australia spin-bowling allrounder Sophie Molineux the captaincy for the first time.
Annesha Ghosh is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @ghosh_annesha
Source: ESPN Crickinfo