New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) Jemimah Rodrigues has set her sights on Lord’s, the iconic ground where Kapil Dev led the Indian men’s team to their first-ever World Cup triumph in 1983. The Indian women’s star says her team dreams of achieving the same milestone at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, aiming to lift their maiden T20 title at the historic venue.

“Kapil Dev and the Indian men’s team won their first-ever World Cup there. We would love to win our first-ever Women’s T20 World Cup there. That would be super cool,” Jemimah was quoted by ICC.

The 25-year-old batter, who recently played an innings of a lifetime, an unbeaten 127 off 134 balls, to guide India across the line in an epic ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup semi-final chase against Australia last year, feels that victory has instilled a newfound resolve within the team. India went on to clinch their maiden title that night in Navi Mumbai, and Jemimah believes that triumph has only fueled their motivation heading into England and Wales.

“The monkey is off the back. But I don’t think it’s pressure. I think it’s more motivation because now you’ve tasted what it feels like to lift one World Cup. It makes you want one more and then one more and then one more. So I think the team is even more motivated and even more eager. And more than that, we saw the kind of impact it had for women’s cricket in India,” she said.

Jemimah also praised her teammates’ character, emphasising the importance of mental strength in high-pressure games.

“We just want to continue that legacy going to England. I think this team has character. When you want to win big games, you need people with character, people who are different in their own way, but they have a thing that they’ll do anything to win the match. That kind of an attitude. And I think that’s great character. That’s why in any situation, I believe our team will find a way to win a match,” Jemimah said.

Reflecting on her personal journey, Jemimah revealed how past setbacks prepared her for her breakthrough innings against Australia.

“I think firstly, the biggest learning for me was because I was going through a lot of anxiety, not doing well, got two ducks in the tournament, was dropped and four years ago, I was dropped from the Cricket World Cup. This was my first World Cup. What I realised is that sometimes all you have got to do is show up because life has a way of making all things work together for good,” she said.

“And I think, those four years actually trained me for such a moment as that, because I had to use all that experience that all the failures in all those years taught me maybe for such a time as that. So I think that was my biggest learning, that sometimes, especially when it gets hard and you don’t have the strength to run or fly, sometimes all you have to do is just go and stand and God works out everything for you,” Jemimah added.

Jemimah will once again play a pivotal role as India chase their maiden T20 World Cup crown. Slotted in Group 1, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will take on Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands, opening their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 14 at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Recalling a high-pressure chase against Pakistan in the 2023 T20 World Cup, Jemimah said, “I think in 24 balls we needed 41 runs, which in a World Cup is a lot of pressure, like double the pressure. And from there we went out and chased it down. I think that was very special for me and I still remember that.”

With that blend of experience, character, and confidence, Jemimah and her teammates aim to create more memorable moments as they kickstart their campaign at the iconic grounds of England.

–IANS

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