E-Paper
Sign in
WPL: Jemimah ready for DC, with vital tip from Meg
Jemimah Rodrigues takes over as captain for Delhi Capitals in WPL, aiming to lead the team to its first trophy after three finals appearances.
New Delhi: For the last three Women’s Premier League (WPL) seasons, Delhi Capitals did everything right – having a serial winner like Meg Lanning as skipper, assembling a match-winning squad and solid coaching staff. They did so well they made it to the finals in all three editions. Yet, the trophy eluded them.
This year, the hope has risen that can cross that barrier. They have a new captain in Jemimah Rodrigues – who has gone where no Indian player went and returned powerful. She weathered a storm professionally and personally and emerged victorious with India in the ODI World Cup. And that could well be the catalyst DC need for the tide to turn.
She will be expected to be more serious as a leader. Yet, despite the added responsibility, don’t expect her to change her enthusiastic self. “Honestly, my personality won’t change much. But when I enter my zone, my captaincy will be generally calm but also aggressive in thinking,” she said in a pre-season virtual media conference.
Filling Lanning’s shoes is tough but Rodrigues has learnt from the best. That she has captained Mumbai at the domestic level and picked Lanning’s mind the last three years makes her ready to take the challenge head on.
“I remember a game in Delhi where we won by one run. I asked Meg if she was nervous. She said she was, but it didn’t show. She said if a captain panics, the team panics. That really stayed with me. She’s calm but aggressive in thinking and that’s something I’ve learned from her,” said Rodrigues.
Having played under Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana for India, she has also picked up a few other learnings. From Kaur, she learnt aggression and leading from the front, especially in big moments. From Mandhana, she learnt calmness, tactical thinking and developing a relationship with bowlers.
More importantly, it’s her empathy that could define her leadership. Rodrigues, during the World Cup, had opened up about mental health and anxiety and how she dealt with it. She is also known to be a team player, loyal to the T.
DC have seen that Lanning’s tactical astuteness can fetch results but have chosen Jemimah’s novelty and sensitivity to see if it ticks. “What I went through will help me understand players better. Sometimes as leaders, maybe we can be a little harsh on girls but when you understand that someone’s going through something, you’ll also find a way to help them out. Sometimes it’s important for us to go through stuff so that your players can relate to you.
“I’ve always been this person. Since childhood, I’ve always looked out for people.”
Rodrigues is only 25 but she is battle-hardened. Success and failure, both individual and from the team’s point of view in the last few years, have helped her form a more holistic view.
“The last three years have had everything…ups and downs. Failures taught me the most. Heartbreaks in World Cups maybe prepared me for moments later. I wouldn’t change anything.
“I believe in God’s timing. Everything shaped me into the player I am today and has prepared me for what’s next. And, I’m excited.”
If the last few months are anything to go by, this could well be the start of Jemimah’s leadership era.
