New Delhi, June 20 (IANS) Former India batter Veda Krishnamurthy backed Jemimah Rodrigues to bounce back agaisnt south Africa on Sunday despite a quiet start in the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.

After scoring single run against Pakistan, Jemimah went out for 19 against Netherlands failing to make it big after a good start.

“You can’t be too worried about Jemimah Rodrigues’ performances so far in this T20 World Cup. She is too good a player to be judged on a few games. She knows she has a big role to play in this campaign. It is just about confidence,” Krishnamurthy said on JioStar.

She pointed to Rodrigues’ performances in the ODI World Cup as evidence of her quality. “Yes, her numbers in T20 World Cups haven’t been great, but she proved herself in the 50-over World Cup. The knock against New Zealand and the match-winning innings in the semi-final against Australia showed what she is capable of.”

Krishnamurthy stressed that continued backing from the team management would be crucial. “She has the backing of the team and the management. They need to keep giving her that confidence. One good innings is all it takes to get back into rhythm. She looked solid against the Netherlands. The timing was better, and she seemed more settled. It is only a matter of time before she plays a big knock, which I feel is right around the corner.”

Krishnamurthy also spoke about South African all-rounder Nadine de Klerk and the familiarity Indian players have with her game through the Women’s Premier League. “These players have faced each other a lot over the years. Many of them have also been teammates in the WPL. With Nadine de Klerk playing for RCB, Smriti Mandhana knows her game well. Richa Ghosh, Arundhati Reddy, and Radha Yadav also know her strengths and weaknesses from their time together in the same squad,” she said.

However, she admitted South Africa’s use of de Klerk in the tournament had been surprising. “The way South Africa used Nadine in the first game was surprising. She didn’t bowl until the 12th over. She was also sent in at number four, even though she has mostly played as a finisher in white-ball cricket. That is where she has been most effective. There has been a lot of role-switching.”

Despite the threat posed by the South Africans, Krishnamurthy backed India’s confidence heading into the high-stakes clash. “The key point is that now there is a lot of information available. Teams have watched plenty of videos. Players understand each other well. Yes, Nadine is a threat on her day, but the confidence the Indian team currently has is something I want to back.”

–IANS

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