Jemimah Rodrigues Breaks Silence After 4th WPL Final Loss

Delhi Capitals Women were beaten by RCB Women and captain Jemimah Rodrigues opened up on the unfortunate fate they suffered.

Delhi Capitals’ search for their first Women’s Premier League title continued on Thursday as they suffered defeat in their fourth final across four seasons, falling short once again at the final hurdle.

Batting first in the summit clash, DC-W posted a competitive 203 for 4, led by skipper Jemimah Rodrigues, who anchored the innings with a fluent 57 off 37 balls. Chinelle Henry provided the late momentum with a blistering 35 off just 15 deliveries.

However, the total was chased down by Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women with two balls to spare, courtesy of a commanding partnership between captain Smriti Mandhana, who struck 87 off 41 balls, and Georgia Voll, who contributed a crucial 79 off 54 deliveries.

Despite the disappointment, Rodrigues chose to highlight the resilience and character shown by her team throughout a demanding season rather than dwell on another final defeat.

“I think I couldn’t be more proud of this team. It wasn’t easy for us, but the kind of character our girls showed for us to just make it to the finals is something I’m so proud of. And, you know, I couldn’t ask for anything better. They’re a great bunch of girls,” Jemimah said in the post match presentation.

She then credited the wider support system behind the team and thanked the fans for their constant backing. “Not just that, but especially our support staff has worked tirelessly after us, making sure our environment’s great. And not just that, even our logistics and every single person. You can see the DC fans there screaming, shouting every time. And yeah, all our DC fans all over the world. Thank you so much,” the 25-year-old added.

Reflecting on the final, Rodrigues stood firm that DC had done enough with the bat. “I think 204 in a final is always a great score. Hats off to the way we played as a team. I think we’ve been great. You know, if ever you wanted our team to fire and click, it was today. And I think we did that really well,” the captain noted.

“Players did more than we could have asked for”: Rodrigues

While accepting that there is always room for improvement, Rodrigues stressed that effort and commitment defined DC’s campaign. She pointed to the team’s ability to recover from setbacks and praised the depth within the squad, singling out several players for stepping up under pressure.

“There’s always, ‘Okay, we could have done this better, that better.’ But I think everyone fought hard. Everyone gave their all. And sometimes that’s all, all that’s important. I think the assessment has been great. It’s easier if we start a tournament off well, but to pick ourselves up, even if it’s a senior player or even if someone like Niki and Rana, the way they batted that day was phenomenal. They just showed that, what kind of depth is there in Indian cricket,” she reflected.

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“And at the same time, Nandani Sharma, she’s been great. She honestly did more than what we asked her to do. And I’m so proud of her. Even Minnu, even Minnu for the way she’s fielded, the way she showed up,” Rodrigues said.

The DC captain concluded by underlining the importance of the experience gained from another deep run in the tournament.

“So it’s been a great bunch of girls, the experience coming in and as well as, you know, the youngsters learning. I think it’s been great,” she concluded.