Jemimah Rodrigues has bagged a major contract in the Women's Premier League auction with Delhi Capitals, earning Rs 2.20 crore.
She is the first buy of the JSW-owner Delhi Capitals franchise in the auction in Mumbai.
Rodrigues may only 22 years old now, but she has already established herself as one of the big names in the senior India women's team, having played 76 T20I matches for India, scoring over 1600 runs at an average of just over 30. Rodrigues bats mainly in the top four and has the ability to accelerate at her own will.
In Sunday's ICC T20 World Cup match against Pakistan, Jemimah played a match-winning role with a half century in India's chase. She walked out to bat at number three and smashed 53 runs off 38 deliveries and remained unbeaten as the team won the game by 7 wickets.
Apart from representing India, she has also played in other T20 leagues like the Women's Big Bash League and the Women's Hundred, and she has a terrific batting record there. In the inaugural edition of the Hundred, Rodrigues smashed 249 runs at an excellent average of 41.50 and an outstanding strike-rate of 150.91.
The inaugural edition of the WPL will be played in Mumbai from 4 March to 26 March A total of 22 matches will be played, with the Brabourne Stadium and D.Y. Patil Stadium playing hosts to the marquee tournament comprising Gujarat Giants, UP Warriorz, Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
A total of 409 players are going under the hammer today in the auction in Mumbai of which 246 are Indians and 163 are overseas players. The total number of capped players are 202, uncapped players are 199. A maximum of 90 slots are available with the five teams, with 30 being slotted for overseas players.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)