- Nasima Akter
Jemimah Rodrigues' Gestures Wins Hearts at WPL Match
Jemimah Rodrigues, the star batter of Delhi Capitals (DC), won the hearts of fans during their opening match of the Women's Premier League (WPL) against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Sunday.
Jemimah's Heart-Winning Gestures
Two videos, in particular, have surfaced, showing the young batter distributing drinks to the crowd near the boundary line and shaking a leg while looking at them.
Jemimah can be seen keeping the fans hydrated as she took the onus of distributing drinks to the crowd present in the stadium. Rodrigues was also seen dazzling with her 'moves' near the boundary rope to keep the crowd entertained during the high-voltage clash.
Fans have praised Jemimah for her kind gesture and humility. One fan wrote, "Jemi knows how to win hearts!" while another commented, "Love u jemmi..Delhi hai Dilwalon ki," with heart emojis. Many other fans also expressed their admiration for Jemimah's thoughtfulness toward the crowd.
In addition to the videos, Jemimah also showed her musical skills during the WPL 2023 opening ceremony. She was seen playing the guitar and singing with Brown Munde singer AP Dhillon, much to the delight of the fans.
Interestingly, Jemimah has always wanted to play for Mumbai Indians (MI). Instead, she was bought by DC for Rs 2.2 crore during the WPL 2023 auction. Despite this, Jemimah will be delighted to play the entire season in front of the home crowd in Mumbai.
Before the WPL, Jemimah was known as an all-rounder in the Mumbai women's cricket squad, in addition to being a member of the Maharashtra Under-17 hockey team.
Delhi Capitals' Performance During Match
In the match, Delhi Capitals dominated the Bangalore-based franchise as they emerged victorious by a massive 60 runs.
The opening pair of Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma scripted the biggest total (223 runs) of the league so far with a sensational 162-run partnership.
Meg Lanning's (72 runs off 43 balls) and Shafali Verma’s (84 runs off 45 balls) blitzkrieg handed Delhi a massive advantage in the first innings. Jemimah (15-ball 22*) and Marizanne Kapp (17-ball 39*) also contributed significantly, propelling the side to attain a mammoth 223 runs in their 20 overs.
In response to the score, USA’s Tara Norris ripped through the rival middle-order single-handedly, returning impressive bowling figures of 5/29 in her four overs.
Heather Knight, who came down the middle-order, tried to put up a fight with her gritty 21-ball 34, but her dismissal by Norris ended all hopes of pulling off the chase.
Lanning-led Delhi won by 60 runs, and Tara Norris was adjudged Player of the Match for her dominant bowling performance.
Jemimah's performance both on and off the field has earned her admiration from fans and fellow players alike. The Delhi Capitals will be looking to keep their momentum going as they prepare to face off against Alyssa Healy's UP Warriorz on March 7th.
There have been four matches so far in the tournament, and the Mumbai Indians are currently leading in the standings with two for two and four points.
