My dream is to play for team India: Jemimah Rodrigues

Mumbai’s 17-year old Jemimah Rodrigues became a household name when she hit a brilliant unbeaten 202 against Saurashtra recently. The cricketer has certainly knocked the big doors of international cricket with her whirlwind knock. Her innings fetched her praises from all corners. Among all the wishes that came in flooding, the one that stands out the most is from another young Indian batter, Smriti Mandhana.

Mandhana needs no introduction either. Mandhana was one of the stars of the Indian team during India’s recent Women’s World Cup campaign. She is the first Indian woman cricketer to have hit a double century at the U19 level. She was pleased to see another batter emulate the feat. Mandhana, as per the quotes in PakObserver.net, congratulated Jemimah Rodrigues for her achievement. She went on to exclaim that she hopes to see Jemimah play for the Indian team soon.

“I am amazed when a young girl of sixteen could smash 200 runs. I hope she plays for India one day. She should continue to score more runs like this and then the selectors will have no reason to ignore her claim,” quoted Smriti Mandhana.

Not thinking about the landmark

Meanwhile, Jemimah Rodrigues mentioned that she was not thinking about the record during the innings. All that she had on her mind was the fact that she had missed out on a double ton earlier. She thanked the almighty for his support. She expressed her happiness over the feat that she achieved .

“No, actually I was just thinking of playing full 50 overs and being not out. I had missed this double hundred in the last match and got out on 178 runs. So if I would get the opportunity I wanted to make up for those 22 runs. I feel really blessed and grateful to God. Lord Jesus Christ, because without His hand I could have never done it, I am really happy,” quoted Jemimah Rodrigues.

Good wishes pouring in

When someone plays an innings such as the one Jemimah Rodrigues played, the good wishes are bound to pour in. She revealed that she received congratulatory messages from the Indian national team cricketers. She thanked her college for the support that they have extended to her. Also, she is keen on delivering better performances in the matches to follow. Lastly, she exclaimed that she aspires to play for team India.

“My parents were really happy and overwhelmed. Few women players like Anjua Patil, Vanitha VR have congratulated me. My Rizvi college has been very supportive. They have allowed me to focus on cricket. They tell me don’t worry about the attendance and all you just go and do well there. Now another match and when we win we qualify for the Super League starting on the 16th at Guntur. My dream is to play for India,” said Jemimah.