Talking to Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant helped: Jemimah Rodrigues

The batter stars in India’s win over Sri Lanka on her return

The last few months hadn’t been easy for Jemimah Rodrigues. Neither was the wicket at Dambulla on Thursday.

It may not have been the most ideal of tracks for a batter to come back into international cricket, but Jemimah produced a fine knock (36 not out, 27b) that helped India win the first T20I against Sri Lanka. The Women in Blue won by 34 runs after posting 138 for six.

The innings would have done a world of good to her confidence. She had been dropped from the Indian team for the Women’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand.

“After the last Sri Lanka tour, my journey has not been very smooth,” Jemimah said. “There have been ups and downs and it was not easy.”

She said she benefitted from speaking to Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant during that tough phase. “They said these moments helped you prepare for something greater that was coming (to you),” she said. “These are the moments that define you as a cricketer.”

She said she had become calmer now. “The last few months helped me understand my game even better,” she said.