India’s women’s cricket team will begin their Women’s T20 Asia Cup campaign against Thailand on August 30 without one of their key batters. Jemimah Rodrigues suffered a high-grade right hamstring tear on August 3 while playing for Southern Brave in The Hundred in England and has been ruled out of the tournament. The BCCI has not announced a specific recovery timeline for the injury.
Coach Amol Muzumdar acknowledged the significance of Rodrigues’ absence while emphasising the importance of her recovery.
“Speaking about Jemimah, I have always maintained that she is a clutch player for us. She will definitely be missed. But having said that, her recovery is very important for us.” Muzumdar told the reporters ahead of the Thailand game.
“She will be missed. There are some other players who have come into the team, and I am sure they will do well. But having said that, Jemimah will be missed,” he added.
Coach acknowledges Rodrigues’ absence
Pratika Rawal has been named as Rodrigues’ replacement for the Asia Cup. Rawal has represented India in ODIs and recently missed the England Test because of an injury. However, Rawal is yet to play a T20I or Women’s Premier League fixture, making her selection a significant development for the tournament.
Pratika Rawal steps in as replacement
The Women’s T20 Asia Cup began on August 28, with India’s group stage schedule including matches against Hong Kong on September 3 and Pakistan on September 5 at the Dubai International Stadium. Muzumdar outlined his approach to the tournament despite the team’s recent form struggles.
“We don’t pay too much attention to form. You are talking about 16 T20Is in the last 6 months. But at the same time, we know what scope of improvement this team has got,” coach said.
“This is a young side. We are trying to play aggressive cricket. And from here on, we will try and set the tone for the next 6 months,” he added.
at the moment, we are focusing on the Thailand game: Muzumdar
Muzumdar also addressed the off-field dynamics surrounding the team, particularly regarding the upcoming match against Pakistan. The 51-year-old was asked whether his players will shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts. He stressed the importance of maintaining focus on cricket performance rather than external matters. However, he has his sights set on the Thailand game for now.
“Look, we try to play the best cricket on the ground. And off-the-field stuff, we don’t focus on. We will speak about this (shaking hands) when we play that game (against Pakistan). But at the moment, we are focusing on the Thailand game.” coach said.
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