Ahead of her first ODI World Cup outing, Jemimah Rodrigues says hard work at the nets translates to joy on the field

Her journey has been anything but smooth. Nothing like her impromptu mash-up sessions with friends, where she can glide—whether singing, dancing or playing the guitar—from Yeh Chand Sa Roshan Chehra to Kesariya with ease. Yet, at 25, after rewiring not just her game but also her mind, Rodrigues carries a clarity of purpose. The goal, as she puts it, is simple: “Help India win our first World Cup. Our fans deserve it, they have given us so much love."

The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, which is being hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will run from 30 September to 2 November, with Rodrigues as part of the middle-order batters.

The last few days before it is officially go-time are spent relishing her mother’s dal-chawal-bombil fry meals at home in Mumbai, and playing with “the goodest boy there is," her dog, Jade. “He is exactly like me, has too much energy all the time," she says.

If home is where she recharges, the nets have been where Rodrigues has rebuilt herself. She has been in World Cup mode for the last few tournaments. “My preparation started a long time back," she says. “Before every series, I go through this exercise – okay, the World Cup is coming, what do I need to do to help India win it – and then I break it down from there." The tactic has worked, with both her ODI hundreds thus far coming this year.

The uncertainty over her batting position, whether at No. 3, 4, or 5, has been one of the biggest challenges the Mumbai girl has had to come to terms with. Her 102 against Ireland in January came at No. 4, while the 123 against South Africa in May was scored from No. 5. But in searching for stability, Rodrigues stumbled upon something else – freedom.

It began with a conscious shift in the nets. Instead of easing herself in, she decided to take on the bowler from ball one. “I used to take my time to settle," she says. “You can do that at 3 often, but if I am coming more regularly at 5, I don’t know what situation I may find myself in. Was there an early collapse and do we need to rebuild? Or have I come in with just five or seven overs to go and I need to take the team home?"

The nets became her laboratory, as Rodrigues set up scenarios for herself—0 for 3 on the board, or a dozen runs needed in an over. The sidearm specialists were given strict instructions: Get her out. For context, a sidearm—a curved, sling-like device—is used by the support staff to replicate high pace and bounce at cricket nets, sometimes sharper and more consistent than the bowlers themselves. “I stopped feel-good practice," she says. “It didn’t matter if my batting looked ugly. I had to give my game and my mind the freedom to be okay with that experimenting, irrespective of the outcome." That willingness to embrace discomfort would prove as important as any shot in her arsenal.

It didn’t go as per plan in every game. But the backing from her teammates gave Rodrigues confidence. “Smriti (Mandhana) once told me, if I get out on a low score and people say something, I should just respond, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll do better in the next game.’ Saying it aloud was a way of reassuring myself." What also helped was the conscious effort to look at the positives even in a negative result. “Maybe I got out on a duck that day, but I must have done something good? Maybe I saved a few runs for the team?" she says.

On a given day, Rodrigues does a fair bit more than just that. She constantly gives pep talks to her batting partner at the other end, pulls off blinders in the outfield, runs in from wherever she is fielding to give a congratulatory high-five to the bowler, sometimes a bear hug even. And should there be a floss dance request from the crowd, she happily obliges between overs.

It’s this very duality—the relentless prep in the nets, and unfiltered joy on the field—that makes Li’l J indispensable to India’s World Cup campaign. “The energy flowing in this team is just different," she says, fresh from the team’s double-win in England. What’s also different is the mindset of some of the first-timers, like N Sree Charani, Kranti Goud and Amanjot Kaur, all only a handful of tours old in international cricket. They are fearless and unapologetic, a sharp contrast to previous Indian sides. “I think that brings in a lot of freshness to the side. There is just no nervousness they have, and it rubs off on everyone. It pushes you to do better and do everything it takes to cross the finish line."

And for Rodrigues, the finish line has always been about more than just runs or individual milestones. A couple of years ago, while enjoying bhelpuri from a roadside stall, she saw her face and name staring back from the newspaper the snack was served in. “Is that really me!?" she remembers thinking and laughing. But later that night, the absurdity gave way to something deeper. “I thought, wow, I’ve made it in life."

Today, as she stands on the cusp of her first ODI World Cup, Rodrigues knows that moment meant something. The real moment, though, will come when it’s not just her name in the paper, but that of the entire Indian team—smiling, triumphant, World Cup in hand.

Suprita Das is an independent journalist.