New Delhi [India], September 14 (ANI): As the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) draws near, star India Women’s batter Jemimah Rodrigues has shared her insights on the remarkable growth and increasing support for women’s cricket in recent years.

India’s journey in the tournament will commence with a match against New Zealand on October 4, followed by a much-anticipated showdown against arch-rival Pakistan on October 6. Placed in Group A, the Women in Blue will compete against formidable teams like Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. In the previous edition, India made it to the semi-finals, showcasing their growing prowess.

Reflecting on her early days in cricket, Rodrigues reminisced about the limited visibility of women’s cricket back then. “When I started playing cricket, I only knew two names—Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami. I didn’t even recognize their faces because there were no televised games. They achieved success without the recognition or fame that we are fortunate to have today. Because of their groundwork, we are here,” Jemimah said in an interview with Star Sports.

Rodrigues also highlighted a significant transformation in recent years: the burgeoning excitement for women’s matches. “Today, names like Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur are household names. The awareness and enthusiasm for women’s cricket have skyrocketed. People now say they don’t care if it’s a men’s or women’s team; they just want to watch the Indian team play. This excitement, this ‘josh,’ marks a pivotal shift and serves as our biggest motivation,” she added.

Leading the charge for India at the upcoming event is all-rounder Harmanpreet Kaur, heading a robust 15-member squad. She will be supported by vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, anticipated to open the innings alongside Shafali Verma. Other key top-order options include Dayalan Hemalatha. The squad’s batting lineup is further bolstered by Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, and Richa Ghosh.

Richa Ghosh is designated as the primary wicketkeeper, with Yastika Bhatia as an additional option. On the bowling front, India boasts talents like Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Asha Sobhana, Sajana Sajeevan, and Shreyanka Patil. The inclusion of all-rounders such as Harmanpreet Kaur, Sajana Sajeevan, Sobhana Asha, and Deepti Sharma provides the squad with depth and versatility.

The fitness of Yastika Bhatia and Shreyanka Patil remains a concern due to recent injuries. Nevertheless, India will have three travelling reserves ready for the UAE event.

In last year’s T20 World Cup, Australia clinched their sixth title by defeating South Africa by 19 runs. India reached the semi-finals but narrowly missed out on a final spot after a five-run defeat to Australia.

India’s Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Dayalan Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajana Sajeevan.

Travelling Reserves: Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Saima Thakor.

Non-travelling Reserves: Raghvi Bist, Priya Mishra. (ANI)