Jemimah Rodrigues becomes the sixth Indian to sign for WBBL 7

Melbourne, Sept 29: In a huge development, Melbourne Renegades on Wednesday confirmed the signing of India batter Jemimah Rodrigues for the upcoming Women's Big Bash League (WBBL).

 

At just 21 years of age, Rodrigues has already built an impressive resume. She is fresh from a blistering campaign in The Hundred, where she was the second-leading run-scorer with 249 runs at a strike rate above 150.

 

 

Rodrigues is already the 13th-ranked T20 batter in the world and has represented India on 68 occasions. She is looking forward to her first taste of the WBBL.

 

 

"I'm very excited to be here now and to be part of the Renegades. I think for me, the main goal over here will be just to pull back and play cricket, play some good cricket and enjoy what I'm doing. I know when I do that and when I'm in that headspace, I'm able to give it my best," Rodrigues said in an official release.

 

 

"The goal is, whatever happens, I want to give it my 100 per cent each and every time I'm on the field... and hopefully (we can win) the cup for the Renegades! I'm super excited, I'm really looking forward to it and there's so much that I'm going to learn, I'm sure about that," she added.

 

WBBL head coach, Simon Helmot, believes Rodrigues can have a big impact for the Renegades. "Jemimah is an immensely talented young player, who is already making her mark on the world stage at 21," Helmot said. She will link up with the Renegades' squad in Hobart, following the conclusion of the Australia-India series.

 

  

The youngster has become the sixth Indian to sign a deal for the 2021 edition of the WBBL. Earlier, Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma (both Sydney Thunders), Shafali Verma and Radha Yadav (both Sydney Sixers) and the 17-year-old Richa Ghosh (Hobart Hurricanes) too were recruited into the league. With the WBBL expected to start on 14th October 2021, fans can expect a few more Indian signings into the premier T20 league for women.