Women's Asia Cup 2022: Jemimah Rodrigues becomes the youngest player to score a half-century in the tournament

Jemimah Rodrigues (Image Source: Twitter)

Jemimah Rodrigues has comeback into India's scheme of things of late and it has been a great turnaround for her. The batter has been in great form and is currently donning the Indian jersey in the Women’s Asia Cup 2022. India Women faced Sri Lanka Women in their first match and registered a dominant win. 

Jemimah played a match-winning knock of 76 runs and helped India get off to a great start in the continental tournament. The 22-year-old is in exemplary form and her performance in the Commonwealth Games helped India women reach the finals. 

And now, the batter has become the youngest to register a fifty in the history of the continental tournament. For the unversed, Fargana Hoque held the record prior to the Indian batter as she scored a fifty when she was 25 years and 79 days old. Jemimah who is 22 years and 26 days old, has broken the record with her fifty which came today against Sri Lanka Women. 

Jemimah Rodrigues (aged 22 yrs 26 days) becomes the youngest player to score a half century in Women's T20 Asia Cup.

Previous youngest was Bangladesh's Fargana Hoque (25 yrs 79 days) against India in 2018.#INDvSL #WomensAsiaCup

— Rhitankar Bandyopadhyay (@rhitankar8616) October 1, 2022

India women beat Sri Lanka women in their first match

Speaking of the game, the Sri Lanka Women put India Women to bat first. While Smriti Mandhana failed to make it big, it was Jemimah, who fired it up with the bat. With the intent to make it big, the 22-year-old scored 76 runs off just 53 balls and helped India women to put on a total of 150 on board. 

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, started to bottle from the start albeit they were on par at one time with the run rate. However, frequent wickets in the middle overs forced Sri Lanka to go out of the way and ended up losing the match by 41 runs. 

Jemimah Rodrigues, who won the Player of the Match award, said that her preparation helped her play a match-winning knock. Further, the Indian youngster heaped praise on the Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and said that she supported her well. 

“Harry di told whatever I wanted to speak. 6 months I did not touch my bat, was tough not doing the thing I love and seeing everyone else do it. But everyone helped me, my parents, coaches and my trainers, I wanted to thank them. Nothing like coming back and playing for India. I would like to thank Mumbai – the heat is the same here as it is where I stay back in Mumbai," she said after winning the award.

"The wicket was tricky, it kept on the lower side, initially it was not turning, but then it turned. But I had prepared well for this, even in Bangalore I asked for slower and turning wickets. That preparation really helped me here. We will take the win and take the positives from this win,” she added further.