Hopefully, we lift the WPL trophy this year on our home ground: Jemimah Rodrigues

Jemimah Rodrigues, the vice-captain of Delhi Capitals, spoke exclusively to JioCinema ahead of WPL 2024, which gets underway in Bengaluru on February 23. The batter spoke about her learnings from skipper Meg Lanning, DC’s aspirations and getting to play in front of her home crowd this time around. 

Excerpts:

On her lengthy training sessions: "I feel great. I’m someone who believes a lot in working hard and following the process and my preparations. I hit a lot of balls, I pity the ones who do the sidearm throw-ins for me. I tell them ‘bhaiya I'll pay for your massage, but please keep throwing’. Even in the Indian team, I'm the first one in, last one out."

On returning to DC for Season 2: "I love being a part of the DC family. More than a team, it’s a family. This feels like home to me. Since last year’s WPL, there’s been a lot of improvement in domestic cricket. I feel it because we have played in the domestic season. There's scope for more but it’s a good sign for women’s cricket all over India."

On losing the 2023 WPL final to Mumbai Indians: "It was hard. We were doing well throughout the tournament and we had some amazing games. The one we really wanted to win the most, didn't go in our favour, but that’s sport. That’s why we love playing. You win some, you lose some. It teaches you a lot, to get back up and gives you another chance always. This is our other chance. Hopefully, this year on our home ground, we lift the WPL trophy."

On playing in front of the Delhi fans this season: "I am very excited. There’s nothing like playing in front of your home crowd. Me being a Mumbaikar wearing a Delhi jersey in Mumbai, everyone was supporting the Mumbai Indians except my family, like 10 of them. It’ll be nice to have an entire ground cheering for Delhi."

On if it was disorienting to not be cheered in Mumbai: "I think it was fine. Whenever I went to the boundary line, they were cheering for me."

Also read: WPL 2024: Where to Watch WPL Matches - TV Channels & Live Streaming in India

On how it feels like being captained by Meg Lanning: "It feels great. There’s so much to learn from her. She’s someone who doesn’t demand respect, she just walks in and everyone automatically has respect for her. She’s done so much, that’s why we have that much respect for her. There’s so much to learn. Working with her up close and personal, I never thought I’d get that opportunity. Thanks to the WPL, I’m getting it. Being the vice-captain, I’m involved in many decisions, seeing how she works. Recently, I spoke to her about captaincy and how she dealt with it because she was made captain at a young age. ‘Captaincy is so much more than on the field’, she said. Off the field, there are so many things you have to handle. Then off the field, your own batting and how you go about it. It was a good conversation, and I’m sure I’ll get so much more to learn from her."

Also read: "It’s hard to get her attention on the field" - DC skipper Meg Lanning on 'talented and energetic' Jemimah Rodrigues

On if she ever feels overwhelmed: "Till now, I’ve not been put in a position where Meg had to go off the field and I had to take the initiative. I am not sure about that. Knowing my team, they’ll make it easier for me. Growing up, I’ve always been in the Mumbai team and leading at a very young age, dealing with seniors. This is very different to that but sort of similar and that experience will come off here. I did speak to Meg about it and I’ll use all the advice."

On how she looks at the changes in her squad:  "We have got Annabel Sutherland. She recently scored a double-century and had an amazing time with the ball too. I played with her in the WBBL, and she’s a great person, a very good fielder. As a captain, that’s one person you’d want to have on your team because she covers all aspects. We have Ashwani (Kumari), another young talent coming in and filling in the finisher’s role we’re looking for. She’s someone who wants to learn and get better. That’s her biggest quality."

Also read: Annabel Sutherland will add a lot of depth, a lot of firepower to Delhi Capitals: Meg Lanning ahead of WPL opener

On whether she wants to take on any of the bowlers who got her out last year: "No, I’m not that person who keeps grudges. I’m very competitive but I won’t go on the ego side that ‘you took my wicket, now I’ll hit you’. I just watch the ball and play it. On a given day, the best of the best bowlers can bowl a loose ball and I’ll hit it away. Sometimes, there’s a bowler who I can usually hit but she’s bowling well, then I’ll play her sensibly. I want to win matches for my team and I have that competitiveness, but I’ll play according to merit and the situation.”