Published: December 10, 2025 at 10:34 am
Jemimah Rodrigues, after her heroics against Australia in the semifinals of the recent ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, is the toast of the nation. The Mumbaikar struck an unbeaten century to steer India to their first victory over Australia in the World Cup. The Indian women’s team went on to clinch their maiden World Cup title after a resounding victory over South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai last month. With the new season of Tata WPL to kick off on January 9 next year, the focus has shifted to the teams and what the players bring to the table. Jemimah will now shoulder the captaincy responsibilities for Delhi Capitals. It is a new role for her, and it remains to be seen how the player will respond to the challenges.
Former India player Aakash Chopra said it will be fascinating to watch how Jemimah responds to the challenge as it will be the first time for her to lead a successful franchise. “Between Marizanne Kapp and Annabel Sutherland, you already have eight quality overs. We’ve spoken about Nandini Sharma, she can be the third bowling option. DC have two excellent spinners in Sneh Rana and Shree Charani, and Chinelle Henry adds a strong fast-bowling support. With their overseas players, they can easily get ten overs, if not twelve. If Nandini plays, she gives them even more pace-bowling depth. Their spin attack is already impressive. But the most interesting aspect is how Jemimah Rodrigues captains this side. We’ve seen her flourish as a player and as a strong team personality, but this is her first time leading a successful franchise. It’s a big elevation and will be fascinating to watch,” Chopra said on JioHotstar.
DC has done smart work at auction: Karim
Another former India player Saba Karim said Delhi, despite having match-winners in their ranks, have not been able to cross the line in key knockout moments. He said the management has done some sharp work at the auction table and tried to plug the loopholes. “For Delhi Capitals, the auction has never been the issue, it is about how they finish the tournament. Despite having match-winners in the line-up, for some inexplicable reason they haven’t been able to cross the line in key knockout moments. Can they do it this time? They had a purse of Rs 5.7 crore and worked very intelligently. Chinelle Henry at Rs 1.30 crore is a smart buy. Laura Wolvaardt at the top will add stability. They’ve addressed their spin options with Shree Charani and Sneh Rana, and Rana can contribute runs down the order. They clearly want players who can finish games for them, which is why someone like Sneh Rana at No. 8 or 9 becomes important. So, while finishing has been an issue for DC, they have done some sharp work at the auction table,” he said.
RCB has leaned towards all-rounds: Karim
Giving his assessment of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Karim said that the franchisee has leaned towards all-rounds this time around. “I felt that RCB clearly leaned towards all-rounders this time, which is why you see so many in their line-up, starting from Nadine de Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Grace Harris, and Pooja Vastrakar. There are multiple options for Smriti Mandhana to find the right combination. It is a powerful side, and because they are blessed with so many all-rounders, they seem to have built their squad keeping venue conditions in mind. They will play matches in Navi Mumbai before going to Vadodara, and I believe the kind of wickets they will get there will complement this combination. Overall, this squad looks well balanced for RCB,” he said.
There is only one Pooja Vastrakar: Chopra
Chopra said Pooja Vastrakar stands out as she brings a quality of batting which others do not offer at the same level. “The way RCB has collected and selected players gives them great flexibility. Based on pitch conditions, form, or injuries, they can make tactical changes, whether it’s choosing between Grace Harris or Lauren Bell depending on the opposition. When you look at Indian fast-bowling all-rounders, Pooja Vastrakar stands out because she brings a quality of batting that others—like Renuka Singh Thakur, Shikha Pandey, Arundhati Reddy, or Kranti Gaud, do not offer at the same level. She is a rare commodity. Yes, she has had injury concerns, but there’s only one Pooja Vastrakar in the country. That’s exactly why we saw a bidding war for her. UP Warriorz were very interested, but RCB knew what they wanted, and they secured her. In my opinion, it’s a tremendous addition,” he said.
