Speaking on ‘The Great Indian Cricket Show’ on Doordarshan, former India cricketer and commentator Reema Malhotra highlighted how the mindset and skills of India’s women players have evolved significantly.
Malhotra said, “Look at Jemimah Rodrigues. Because of the arrival of the WPL, she has improved her game, improvised her shots. Before this, she played with a certain template. But now you know that if you want to stay in the playing XI of Meg Lanning, then you have to take a step forward. That’s where we saw Jemimah 2.0.”
She also praised opener Smriti Mandhana, speaking about her positive attitude, “Smriti is a very positive person. In the WPL, when she became captain in the inaugural season, she had gone to play in the Big Bash League. She was struggling to recognize Indian talent because she was not playing domestic matches. A big player never repeats a mistake. In the second WPL, she missed Big Bash and started playing domestic matches. She recognized the talent of the players and also won the trophy.”
Smriti Mandhana was the highest run-scorer for India in the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup, amassing 434 runs in 9 innings at an average of 54.25, including a century and two fifties, with a high score of 109. Jemimah Rodrigues played a match-winning, unbeaten 127 in the semi-final against Australia, helping India chase the highest total ever in a Women’s World Cup knockout match. Both players were named in the Team of the Tournament for their outstanding performances.
Catch more such inspiring insights and cricketing stories from legends on The Great Indian Cricket Show, airing every Saturday and Sunday at 8 PM IST only on Doordarshan.