This year’s Women’s Premier League (WPL) became the most-viewed season ever, with total consumption hitting 34.5 billion minutes across digital and television. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru played the Delhi Capitals in the finals—a match that became the most-watched women’s T20 game ever. At the centre of it all was Jemimah Rodrigues, captain of Delhi Capitals, who now walks into the crowded room where I—and many others—are waiting for her, entirely at ease. She laughs, greets people and takes pictures with children who shyly approach her. I overhear her telling them, “You can call me Jemi.”
The 2026 WPL marks Rodrigues’s fourth time reaching the WPL final, three times as a player and once as captain. She may have made her international debut in 2018, but it has taken eight whole years for her to see young boys and little girls enthusiastically tuning in to watch women’s cricket. “It used to be a thing that girls can’t play cricket. But I think everyone’s over that now. Everyone’s like, ‘It’s cricket, and we love watching it, whoever is playing.’”
Going from playing the World Cup to the WPL in a matter of months, Rodrigues speaks about the curious dynamic of competing against the same players she’s long considered friends. She explains that for her, it is simply akin to playing with and against friends—the way it would be for anyone. “I like playing with them because the banter you get there, you won’t get anywhere else. I do miss them off the field, but I also enjoy playing against them. I think one thing with my friends and me—or with any cricketer—is that we’re very professional once inside the boundary line. It’s about how to make our team win, and we’ll do whatever it takes to do it. But yeah, afterwards we’ll chill together nicely.” When I ask what her teammates might like to steal from her locker, she jokes, “My sense of humour. Actually, it would probably be my shoes or my watch.”
Dressed in a clean, structured silhouette for the evening, an Omega watch on her wrist completes the look. Off-duty, though, her style is far more relaxed: baggy jeans, slightly fitted shirts, hoodies and sneakers. “That’s my go-to outfit everywhere. And I love watches. My Omega watch for sure. It goes with any outfit.” She shares an anecdote about how watches, in particular, became integral to her way of dressing: “I think I got it from my dad; he loves shoes and watches. I remember he would take us to these showrooms, where there were so many watches to look at and choose from. That’s when the fascination started.” If she wants to reward herself for an achievement—a habit that she has been building over the years—it’s a no-brainer. She goes shopping for a watch.
