Jemimah Rodrigues, like many other Indian cricketers, is an admirer of Virat Kohli and acknowledges Team India’s batting superstar’s influence on her game after her remarkable knock in the ongoing Women’s Premier League (WPL 2024).
Rodrigues showcased her exceptional talent with the bat during the Delhi Capitals’ (DC) 29-run win against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 12th game of the ongoing WPL 2024 on March 5.
She scored an impressive 69 runs off just 33 balls against the defending champions, MI, and won the Player of the Match award.
Initially, Rodrigues started off slowly but quickly picked up momentum, going on a rampage in the final five overs of her team's innings. The right-handed Rodrigues displayed her versatility by scoring runs all around the field. Her innings were characterized by smart shot selection, where she carefully targeted gaps in the field and outmaneuvered the opposition's fielders.
Jemimah Rodrigues said after the match: “I knew coming into the WPL you need all sorts of shots, and I can't stick to [certain shots] and say, 'I'm this kind of a player.' For me I need to put a little more effort than the others to hit those sixes. But I rely a lot on my timing and my bat swing.”
She continued, “I think today it came off really well, and for me, even if you see my sixes, I don't try to hit sixes, I try to hit the ball in the gap. If it's hit too well, it goes for a six. That's something I've learnt from Virat Kohli; he does that really well. I really look up to him because we have similar [batting] positions in the Indian team.”
Rodrigues signed off by saying, “The way he goes about [his game], he runs well between the wickets, [and] he has intent while batting. Even if he hits sixes, he hits it in the gaps. So, if he hits it well, it's either two runs, four or a six. That's what I try and apply in my game too.”
(WPL inputs)
