While India vs South Africa first Test was grabbing millions of eyeballs, 17-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues was taking on India Red bowlers in the Challengers Series 2018. The teenage sensation made batting look easy with her copy-book drives. Rodrigues did not hold back as she stepped out against spinners, played the ball on full and took over the fielders inside the 30-yard circle.
The levels of precision are high in the youngster as she middles the ball and pierces the field. She scored 84 runs from 93 balls at a strike rate of 90.32. Her innings included 12 boundaries. She knows how to shift gears after playing herself in. She seemed to impress Mithali as well with her talent at such a young age opening for India Green.
Her innings eclipsed opener Punam Raut’s innings of 84 runs from 124 balls. India Green skipper Anuja Patil played a quickfire knock of 44 from 31 balls and guided her team to an 8-wicket victory with 44 balls to spare.
The 17-year-old has been in phenomenal form recently which earned her a place on the India Green side.
Let’s take a look at her centuries in the Under-19 One Day Competition 2017-18:
202 runs from 163 balls vs Saurashtra
178 runs from 142 balls vs Gujarat
153 runs from 138 balls vs Rajasthan
The five highest individual scores in the tournament included three top scores from Rodrigues.
WATCH highlights of India Green opener Jemimah Rodrigue's sparkling 93-ball 84 vs India Red in @paytm #ChallengerTrophy – https://t.co/mSulq4L6uu
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) January 5, 2018
Twitterati too seemed impressed by her performance and recent form:
It was a treat to watch Jemimah Rodrigues bat! Just 17yrs old and already playing like a pro! #ChallengerTrophy #IndGreenvIndRed
— BCCIWomenFC (@BCCIWomenFC) January 5, 2018
In the battle of the 17-yr-olds, #JemimahRodrigues has asserted her dominance over #EPadmaja so far in the #IndGreenvIndRed game.
Both immensely talented, understated yet expressive personalities in starkly different ways; exciting prospects to look forward to in women’s cricket— Annesha Ghosh (@ghosh_annesha) January 5, 2018
Fifty for #JemimahRodrigues
Very wall played girl! #ChallengerTrophy #IndGreenvIndRed pic.twitter.com/3ZoU77aJHH— SuperStar (@AdwinFurtado) January 5, 2018
This girl #JemimahRodrigues should be picked for #WBBL .. I have no words..She is a star #ChallengerTrophy
— Feisty Blue (@insane_h3art) January 5, 2018
Fifty for Jemimah Rodrigues!! Very well played girl! #ChallengerTrophy #IndGreenvIndRed
— BCCIWomenFC (@BCCIWomenFC) January 5, 2018
50 up for #JemimahRodrigues yayyyy #ChallengerTrophy
— Feisty Blue (@insane_h3art) January 5, 2018
Every 4 of hers reminds us of another 16yr old Mumbai batsman who conquered the whole world, @sachin_rt.
Could Jemimah Rodrigues be to Indian women Cricket team what Sachin Tendulkar was to men’s cricket team in future?
What’s your say @chopraanjum#ChallengerTrophy @BCCIWomen— Yaduvanshi Ankit (@HumanYaduvanshi) January 5, 2018
National-level hockey player, Football & basketball at school, U-19 Mumbai Cricket team captain. Is Jemimah Rodrigues the Elyse Perry of India?#ChallengerTrophy #IndiaGreen @BCCIWomen @BCCIdomestic
— Yaduvanshi Ankit (@HumanYaduvanshi) January 5, 2018
That cover drive from Jemimah Rodrigues. So good to watch. #ChallengerTrophy pic.twitter.com/Xtii32t8sG
— Yash Lahoti (@YvLahoti) January 5, 2018
Very few players make you happy with the way they play, Jemimah Rodrigues is surely one of them! @BCCIWomen #ChallengerTrophy #IndGreenvIndRed
— BCCIWomenFC (@BCCIWomenFC) January 5, 2018
This two boundries from Jemimah Rodrigues shows a clear picture of an ever growing picture of Indian Women cricket.#ChallengerTrophy #IndiaGreen @BCCIWomen
— Yaduvanshi Ankit (@HumanYaduvanshi) January 5, 2018
Just 17 Years , Future of Indian Women’s Cricket . Jemimah Rodrigues #ChallengerTrophy pic.twitter.com/GOPvTExgkl
— Johns (@CricCrazyJohns) January 5, 2018
Wellplayed jemi ..this girl future star #JemimahRodrigues
— Mohammed Hafeez (@hafeezmohammed0) January 5, 2018
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The Mumbai opener is also the second batswoman after Smriti Mandhana to score a double hundred in Under-19 cricket in India. Batting is not her only strong point. The off-spinner took the wicket of Indian opener Deepti Sharma as well who had scored 76 runs. She got the breakthrough which helped India Green restrict India Red to a total of 217 for 6 in 50 overs.
Here’s one of her shots from her brilliance in Under-19 tournaments:
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With the form she is in Rodrigues might be seen in India’s playing XI at the age of 17 similar to the current skipper Mithali who made her debut at the same age.
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