Rodrigues views TKR stint as valuable game-time preparation for T20 World Cup

Jemimah Rodrigues thrives on challenging herself in high-pressure situations, especially when there is a greater goal at stake, like the upcoming women's T20 World Cup in the UAE this October. She is always eager to test her skills in a competitive environment and perform her best in clutch moments.

An established T20 globetrotter, having featured in the Hundred and WBBL, Rodrigues is currently playing in the Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) for Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR), alongside India team-mate Shikha Pandey.

"These are the matches that I'm actually going to get before going and playing like proper team matches [T20 World Cup]," Rodrigues said at a media interaction organised by FanCode.

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"I'm really looking forward to a few things that I'm working on to try and implement it here because when you do it in practice it's different. When you do it in a match, it's way different and franchise cricket has always excited me."

Rodrigues made her international debut as a teenager in 2018, but when her career hit a rough patch in 2021, she rediscovered her form during her time with Northern Superchargers in the Hundred. In her very first game there, she struck an unbeaten 43-ball 92 to overturn a poor run of form after going more than 18 months without an international half-century. Her 249 runs in seven innings overall were the second-best aggregate in that season. It gave her career a second wind.

As she builds towards her fourth T20 World Cup, Rodrigues would've had to be content with preparatory camps, match simulation and practice matches if not for the WCPL stint.

"I love travelling, I love playing for different teams," Rodrigues said when asked about the prospect of playing in the Caribbean. "I love meeting new people and new cricketers and getting to know them, how their mind works and how to play in different conditions. Because every time you go play cricket, you don't get the same kind of situation. Every time it changes.

"The more you're in that situation and in those pressure moments I think that's the best preparation you can have, so for me, I look at it more as a preparation for the T20 World Cup, and at the same time an added responsibility playing for TKR to do whatever I can to make sure my team wins at the end, so I'm just looking forward to playing these matches and I'm very excited for that."

Known to be a touch player, Rodrigues has had to move out of her comfort zone and bat at No. 5, with India head coach Amol Muzumdar keen on her lending stability to the middle order. At the WCPL, though, it's likely Rodrigues will bat at No. 3.

Could the switching of batting positions pose a challenge?

"I think every batter has their own formula," Rodrigues explained of the challenges of batting on slower Caribbean surfaces. "But I think for me, it's very important to assess the conditions quickly and know which shots work for me on a slower track. For me, just knowing which shots work and having that clarity and going out there with clarity helps wherever I play. For me, the basic formula is just having clarity and applying yourself and playing wherever you're playing."