We have crossed the line once and can do it again: Jemimah on upcoming T20 WC
India are not lacking in self-belief after their historic women’s ODI World Cup triumph last year and they are the “favourites” to win the upcoming T20 World Cup in England, says star batter Jemimah Rodrigues.
The women’s T20 World Cup begins on June 12, and India play their first match on Sunday against Pakistan in Birmingham. New Zealand are the defending champions while South Africa ended as runners-up in the last edition in 2024.
India are placed in the six-team Group A along with Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Netherlands. Two teams from the group will qualify for semifinals.
“Everyone was a part of it (the ODI World Cup win); they know what pressure feels like and, at the same time, everyone knows that we’ve crossed the line once and can do it again. That belief rubs off,” Jemimah said on JioStar’s ‘Champions Huddle’.
“But when you win one, you don’t want to stop there. You want to make it two, three, however many you can. Our fans make us feel at home wherever we go. So, yes, we are the favourites, no doubt about that.”
The 25-year-old Jemimah was one of the stars of India’s maiden ODI World Cup triumph in 2025 at home.
“Many times, we visualise success so much, but now we’ve actually lived it. That helps us believe even more that we can do it again. It’s great to have so many members from the 2025 World Cup squad in this team, along with a few more youngsters coming in. I think the energy will rub off on them. Everyone is going to share their experiences,” she said.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said the ODI World Cup win has boosted the team’s confidence of bagging more global events.
“Yeah, 100 per cent. I think everybody will agree with me that life has completely changed after winning our first ODI World Cup. Hopefully, we’ll continue this run of winning trophies.
“This is what I want as a captain, and I think it’s what everyone in our team has been dreaming of. Hopefully, we’ll continue moving in this direction.”
India head coach Amol Muzumdar said his team wants to make winning a habit.
“There’s pressure in every tournament, and the players are used to it. They’ve been playing international cricket for some time now. We’ll be going in as ODI World Cup champions for the first time,” he said.
