New Delhi, Aug 11:
India batter Jemimah Rodrigues is eagerly looking forward to the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka in February 2027, saying the tournament will be special while emphasising that her mindset will remain focused on helping the team win.
The inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy is scheduled to be held from February 14 to 28, 2027. Jemimah said India’s recent taste of success has strengthened the team’s hunger for more major titles. “We’ve tasted success once, and we know what it feels like to be at the top. The more you taste it, the more you want to be there,” she said in an interaction with JioHotstar. She added that being part of the first-ever edition of the tournament would be particularly special. “It’s happening for the first time ever in women’s cricket, and I’ll be a part of it for the first time as well,” she said.
Before the Champions Trophy, India will travel to South Africa in December for a multi-format bilateral series. Jemimah expects a tough contest between two sides that have developed a strong rivalry in recent times. “Both teams have been doing really well. We’ve had a lot of rivalry lately and played a lot of matches against South Africa,” she said, describing the series as a major challenge against one of the world’s top teams.
Jemimah’s campaign in The Hundred 2026 was cut short by a hamstring injury, although she made a significant contribution to Southern Brave’s run to the playoffs, producing two Player of the Match performances. As she races to regain full fitness ahead of the Women’s Asia Cup, she said the 100-ball competition had provided valuable lessons, particularly in managing risk while chasing targets.
“Even while chasing down a target, you’ve got to be really calculative about taking your risks,” Jemimah said, identifying that approach as her biggest takeaway from the tournament. She will now hope to regain full fitness and carry that experience into India’s upcoming international assignments.