India's star batter Jemimah Rodrigues believes that India are one of the hot favorites to lift the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup, as they are coming after a fresh ODI World Cup triumph and that success has placed them among the top contenders for the T20 championship.
Big claim from Jemimah Rodriguez
The Women's T20 World Cup gets underway on June 12, with India set to open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Birmingham on Sunday. Defending champions New Zealand and runners-up South Africa are among the favorites, while India face a tough challenge in Group, where they are placed with Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Netherlands. Only the top two sides from the six team group will secure places in the semifinals.
According to Rodrigues, India's maiden ODI World Cup triumph in 2025 has played a big role in boosting the confidence to replicate the success, as many players were part of the 2025 squad and they know how to handle crunch situations with ease.
“Everyone was a part of it (the ODI World Cup win); they know what pressure feels like and, at the same time, everyone knows that we’ve crossed the line once and can do it again. That belief rubs off,"said Jemimah on JioHotstar.
While talking further, Jemimah revealed that the Indian team does not want to stop at just one title, as they aim for more championships in the coming future. The right-handed batter also noted the immense support they get from their fans across the world is truly great.
“But when you win one, you don’t want to stop there. You want to make it two, three, however many you can. Our fans make us feel at home wherever we go. So, yes, we are the favourites, no doubt about that," she said.
Rodrigues said that winning a world title once has boosted the team's belief that they can do it again. She also noted the experience of several players from the title-winning squad will be important in guiding fresh faces and helping them cope with the pressures of a global tournament.
“Many times, we visualise success so much, but now we’ve actually lived it. That helps us believe even more that we can do it again. It’s great to have so many members from the 2025 World Cup squad in this team, along with a few more youngsters coming in. I think the energy will rub off on them. Everyone is going to share their experiences," she said.
It will be interesting to see if the Indian Women's team can live up to the expectation in the upcoming marquee tournament.