WPL 2024 | Jemimah Rodrigues on what she learnt from Virat Kohli: Have intent while batting; hit all sixes in the gaps

Delhi Capitals' Jemimah Rodrigues said in the post-match conference on March 5: 'I have been working on power-hitting for a long time... I rely a lot on my timing and batswing. I don't try to hit sixes. I try to hit it in the gap. If it is a good hit, it will be six.' (Image source: X/@DelhiCapitals)

Jemimah Rodrigues had not scored a 50 in a long time. She finally found her zone on Tuesday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The right-handed batter played 360-degree shots fearlessly to guide Delhi Capitals to a competitive total of 192 against Mumbai Indians, and eventually helping her franchise win the match by 29 runs.

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Jemimah Rodrigues, 23, downplayed her effort and credited Virat Kohli for inspiring her to find the gaps. "Coming into the WPL, you need all sorts of shots. I have been working on power-hitting for a long time. It was a process. I rely a lot on my timing and batswing. I don't try to hit sixes. I try to hit it in the gap. If it is a good hit, it will be six.

"It is something I learnt from Virat Kohli. He does that well, and I look up to him. We have similar positions in the Indian team. He runs well between the wickets. He has intent while batting. He hits all sixes in the gaps. That's why I also try and apply in my game," Rodrigues told reporters at the end of the match.

She accepted she got carried away by the bang-bang batting style in the tournament which dried the runs. "I tried to hit the ball hard to keep the tempo from the first delivery. But my game is different. I stuck to my game today. Arundhati Reddy and Smriti Mandhana also told me to stick to my game," said Rodrigues, a well-travelled cricketer, who has featured in the Big Bash League in Australia and The Hundred.

The batter is a beast at picking gaps. Once she smashed a four and a six in the first two balls of the 19th over, she shuffled to the off-side to pull a Nat Sciver-Brunt short ball over the short-leg boundary.

Mumbai Indians bowling coach Jhulan Goswami, once Rodrigues' India teammate, was all praise for the youngster. "She is a mature cricketer now and taking responsibility. She has a lot more control now. Her shot selection has improved. The best thing about Jemi is that she tries to learn new things," Goswami said.

Rodrigues will be keen to continue her form against the UP Warriorz on Friday. DC is currently on top of the table with four wins in five outings, and an impressive net run rate of +1.301.