Published By: Saksham Mishra

Jemimah Rodrigues more suited to ODIs or T20Is?

Jemimah Rodrigues isn't a power-hitter but a touch player who builds her innings around singles and doubles.

Tough pill to swallow

Jemimah Rodrigues was in amazing form in the inaugural edition of the women's Hundred in 2021, which is why it came as a surprise when she was not picked for the Indian ODI World Cup squad.

The logic of the Indian team management was that they were looking at International runs and couldn't pick her ahead of Yastika Bhatia, who had done well in limited opportunities on the international stage.

Handling rejection with grace

Naturally, Jemimah Rodrigues was very disappointed, but she handled the snub gracefully and is now back in the mix again.

"I think it was a matter of waiting for the right time. I have realised it now. I don't want to rush into things. I know when it has to come to me, nobody can stop it, and when it comes, it'll be something big. I was happy to be back out there after so long, I waited a long time for this. Sitting out and watching everyone play, sometimes you wonder 'when will my time come'," Rodrigues said at the post-match press conference.

"Honestly, any player would be frustrated not getting picked for the ODIs especially when I knew I was batting well and in good form. But at the end, I'm ready for what the team wants, and if the team was finding the right balance, I'm happy sitting out. There's so much to learn, but it wasn't an easy time for me. There are lots of things going on sitting out, there were a lot of doubts in my head sitting out, but I'm grateful to be a part of this team. If not for the Hundred, I don't think I would've even been selected to play for India."

Making it work

Despite not possessing the power game, Jemimah Rodrigues has the ability to pinch singles and doubles, and her running between the wickets comes to her rescue.

She has the ability to find gaps and hit the ball over the infield as well, which makes her more suited to ODI cricket than T20s. But, with hard work and determination, she has succeeded in the shortest format of the game as well.