The biggest learning from KSL was in finishing games for my team, says Jemimah Rodrigues

She burst on to the international arena as the next big thing in Indian cricket, carrying forward the tradition with the bat as the Mumbaikars generally have done. With her exploits at the 2019 edition of the KSL – where she had a strike of 149.62 – she seems to have justified the tag bestowed on her. Although an opener for India, she was asked to bat at No.4 in England, and she passed the challenge with flying colours.

“I used to never finish the game and come back. I used to bat well and not take it till the end. My dad (Ivan, also her coach) used to always say that a real champion is the one who takes his team to victory. I could do it in KSL. That was the biggest learning for me,” Jemimah told The Hindu on Wednesday

“To get quick runs, bat with the tail, take the responsibility and see the team through was a real learning curve. I don’t think I would have gotten that experience playing in India,” she added.

She further admitted that the experience of lows – especially in carrying drinks all through the Asia Cup last year – created self-doubt, but have eventually proved to be the most helpful experiences. Although she worked hard on her game, it was at the KSL that she was pushed out of the comfort zone as she could no longer pass as the baby of the team.

With the inclusion of 15-year-old Shafali Verma in the Indian women’s T20 squad, it is, in a way, a symbolic confirmation that Jemimah is no longer the baby of the Indian team either. Together with her team, she is set to fine-tune her game during the five-match South Africa series in preparation for the World T20 in Australia.