India player Jemimah Rodrigues is currently working on increasing her bat speed to work on her strength which she hopes will be crucial in hitting big shots in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup. The mega-event will take place in Australia next month. Moreover, she is working on her backfoot skills ahead of the tournament as well.
“I’m working more on my back foot, developing my back foot more and trying to increase my bat speed. Because looking at my size, you can make out I don’t have that much strength to hit the sixes … but I’ve been working on that for quite some time,” said Jemimah Rodrigues in a ‘Road To The T20 World Cup’ podcast.
Since her international debut in 2018, she has consistently performed to established herself as an important member of the team. India will play against the defending champions Australia in the opening game of the tournament in Sydney on February 21, and she believes India will have to be mentally strong while facing the hosts.
“I think when it comes to Australia, you got to be the best or you can’t play. That’s the kind of team they are. My favourite team to play against is also Australia. It’s more of a mind game than just skills (when you play them on the field),” Jemimah Rodrigues said.
Before the World Cup, India will play a tri-series that also featured the host Australia and England from January 31.
“Aussies are naturally dominating and if you hold back a bit, they will sit on your head and not let you come up. So if you want to face them or do well against them, you got to bring your best game. You got to raise your standards,” she added.
“Wherever we go we get Indian followers and supporters so we never feel away from home. We will be expecting a lot of crowd and that will be a boost for us. We get pumped up when we see them cheering for us. It’s a different energy that comes out. There is a different kind of positivity to it,” she shared.
Jemimah Rodrigues, however, is looking forward to playing in the final of the tournament, which can be an important milestone in her life too.
“As a young kid, I have always dreamed about playing the World Cup and not just playing, but doing well. And that too in packed stadiums. And this hasn’t happened to me so far, I wasn’t there in the 2017 World Cup. I can’t put it in words, how important it will be for me to be a part of the Indian team that plays in a World Cup final. It’s quite exciting. I’m really looking forward to it,” she concluded.
