Mumbai, March 13 (IANS) There is an eight-day gap between Delhi Capitals’ last league match and the 2025 Women’s Premier League (WPL) final they will play on March 15 at the Brabourne Stadium. But Jemimah Rodrigues, the side’s right-handed batter, believes the long gap has worked to the team’s benefit, citing the time is being used to adjust to Mumbai’s pitches.
DC have been direct finalists in all three editions of the league after topping the table, but they are hoping to be third time lucky in the title clash happening on Saturday. “Talking about the gap, it’s actually working for our team. We’ve had a lot of team bonding sessions and at the same time, this WPL was a bit hectic for us.”
“We did play back-to-back games, traveled and played too. So getting this break is honestly how I and the team is looking at it – it’s working to our advantage and also we’ve gotten good practice sessions here on the Mumbai pitches and get used to that.”
“So sometimes it’s nice to have this break and yes, we’re ready for the finals. We are looking forward to it, and have prepared well. Like the other two years, this year has not been like the smoothest sailing for us. But like I said in one of the interviews that this team just doesn’t know how to give up and we’re going to come back stronger this year,” said Jemimah in a virtual press conference on Thursday.
Saturday’s final is also the first time DC will play a game at the Brabourne Stadium for the first time in this season. Asked if this would be a disadvantage for DC, Jemimah replied, “The thing is that everyone in our team has played on these pitches. Maybe one or two have not played at the CCI. We played as the Delhi Capitals team also last to last year.
“So everyone’s pretty familiar with the conditions and the pitches. Like I said, we’ve been having good practice sessions in these off days, which is preparing us well enough to adjust to the conditions and get used to it.
“Honestly, like all the other pitches Mumbai to bat on, it’s like a batter’s dream. You enjoy batting here – the outfield’s fast, time it in the gap, it’s a four. So, we are really looking forward to it and so as our bowlers, as they’ve come up with their plans.”
So far, Jemimah has made only 116 runs at an average of 19.33, including hitting one half-century. But she said she is saving her best knock for the title clash. “Like last year was very different to this year. This year we played in different conditions too. But maybe if I can just put it forth in simple words, I guess I’m saving the best for the finals. That’s all I’ll say.”
Amidst all the DC’s experienced players contributing heavily, opener Shafali Verma has been the standout batter yet again by amassing 300 at an average of 42.85 and strike rate of 157.9. Jemimah hoped that Shafali is back in the national reckoning after being out of the T20I set-up since last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE.
“Shafali is such an inspiration in the way she’s come back, because not just she’s come back, but how she’s come back – the kind of strike rate and the kind of impact she’s been having for that team. It just shows her character – how I see it is as a lot of times when things aren’t going well, it’s easy to keep doing well and what you’re doing. But to be dropped and to come back the way she has, hats off to her. I’m sure she’ll be back soon in the Indian team too.”
Another remarkable thing for DC has been Jess Jonassen’s promotion to number three in the batting order, where her average is 45.66 in five innings at a strike rate of 155.7. Moreover, she has picked 11 wickets with her left-arm spin bowling at an average of 19. Jemimah revealed the plan to promote Jess to number three was laid by head coach Jon Lewis, captain Meg Lanning and assistant coach Lisa Keightley.
“So usually how we used to go about in the last two seasons was in the power play, Alice Capsey used to walk in as the punch hitter, just to take advantage, just go out freely and back herself and play. This year, because of our team combination, we wanted to make a few changes.
“That’s when she couldn’t make it in that combination, and in one of the games I went at number three. But then we all again thought that, wait, that was something that was working for us in the last season, why not try it here with Jess? It was JB, Lisa and Meg’s decision to send Jess there.
“When Jess went there, she just smoked every ball out of the park, batted with such intent, took the game on and that brought so much momentum in the batting order. It just made life easy for everyone coming after that, and it’s really working for us. It’s a very good decision they’ve taken and I’m sure we’re going to stick by it,’ she said.
–IANS
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