Thiruvananthapuram: India batter Jemimah Rodrigues was ruled out of selection for the fourth women’s T20I against Sri Lanka at the Greenfield International Stadium due to weakness from a mild fever, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Sunday.
“Ms Jemimah Rodrigues was unavailable for selection in the 4th T20I in Thiruvananthapuram due to weakness arising from mild fever. The BCCI Medical Team is closely monitoring her progress and recovery,” said the BCCI in a statement.
In place of Jemimah, batting all-rounder Harleen Deol has come into the playing eleven for the match, where India will bat first against Sri Lanka for the first time in the ongoing series, with the hosts having an unassailable 3-0 lead.
Jemimah made scores of 69 not out, 26, and nine, and sits as the second leading run-getter in the series after opener Shafali Verma. The unbeaten 69 also led to Jemimah jumping five places to be at number nine in the women’s T20I batting rankings.
Despite missing out on Sunday’s clash, Jemimah has enjoyed a standout 2025, ranking third among India’s run-scorers – 771 runs in ODIs and 212 runs in T20Is. She played a pivotal role in India’s maiden ODI World Cup triumph, striking an unbeaten 127 against Australia in the semi-final before the team overcame South Africa in the final to lift the title at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Earlier this month, Jemimah was appointed as captain of Delhi Capitals ahead of the fourth season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), replacing Meg Lanning in the role. Meg had led DC to the final in each of the first three editions of the tournament, where Jemimah was the vice-captain, but was not retained by the franchise for the upcoming season.
Harleen Deol and Arundhati Reddy have been drafted into India’s playing eleven, as Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first in the fourth T20I at the Greenfield International Stadium on Sunday. India already has an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-game series.
It’s the first time India will bat in the series, after electing to bowl, and then using dew to their advantage to chase down modest totals without breaking a sweat.
(IANS)
