Ahead of India’s upcoming tour of England, where the women’s team will be playing a Test match after a lengthy hiatus of seven years, the white flannels were handed out to the team members currently quarantining in Mumbai.
Up-and-coming star Jemimah Rodrigues penned down a heartfelt note about what it means to be representing the country. The youngster shared the note on her social media platforms on the day she received the Test jersey, recollecting a meeting called by the newly-anointed head coach Ramesh Powar.
“Something that’s very close to my heart. Do read if possible,” she captioned the post.
“So today [Sunday] Ramesh sir called us for a team meeting and showed us the history we have of women’s cricket in India — from where it first started to where it has reached today... The ones who were before us that made it possible for us to be a part of what we are today. The ones who did it without the recognition they deserved, the ones who brought women’s cricket to India.
“Then the two legends of Indian women’s cricket Mithu di [Mithali Raj] and Jhulu di [Jhulan Goswami] came up and shared with the entire team what cricket has meant to them and what it’s like being a part of this Legacy.
“The meeting ended off with this beautiful quote... Our greatest responsibility is to honour those who have been before us and those who will come after, to ‘leave the JERSEY in a better place.’
“This series [tour of England] and the series here forth, we are playing for a far bigger cause than what we realise, we are playing for every single girl who desires to play this sport.”
The poignant post elicited warm and wholesome reactions by the cricketing fandom on Twitter:
Rodrigues, 20, could be in line for a red-ball debut in the one-off Test against England. She is a part of India’s squad across formats for the tour of England, which comprises the Test in Bristol from 16 June, followed by three ODIs and as many T20Is.
The flamboyant right-hander had earlier revealed that she will ply her trade for the Northern Superchargers in the inaugural edition of The Hundred in the UK scheduled to start on 21 July. Rodrigues is expected to join her T20I skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, opener Shafali Verma and all-rounder Deepti Sharma in the 100-ball tournament involving eight men’s and women’s franchises.
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