Will Jemimah Rodrigues Shine Again with Brisbane Heat in WBBL?

Melbourne, June 19 (NationPress) Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues is set to make her return to the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) for a second consecutive season after being selected by Brisbane Heat in the initial round of the WBBL international player draft held on Thursday.

Following the Melbourne Stars utilizing their third pick to target the talented Indian batter, the Heat exercised their retention pick to keep Jemimah for another season.

“The Indian sensation Jemimah Rodrigues will make her comeback in the Weber Women’s Big Bash League for another season as she aims to propel the Brisbane Heat towards the championship this summer,” the Brisbane Heat stated.

The right-handed batter was a key player for the Heat last summer, helping them achieve a six-match winning streak that led them to the WBBL final for the second year running. At just 24 years old, she was the club’s second-highest run-scorer, accumulating 267 runs at an impressive strike rate of 139.06, with the Heat finishing as runners-up to the Melbourne Renegades.

In a message to WBBL fans, Rodrigues expressed her excitement about rejoining the Heat, stating, “I’m super, super, super excited to be back with all of you in Brisbane.”

Rodrigues recently achieved a career milestone by scoring her highest One-Day International (ODI) score of 123 against Sri Lanka. She and Brisbane Heat captain Jess Jonassen played together for the Delhi Capitals in this year’s Women’s Premier League (WPL) in India, where they narrowly missed the title, losing to the Mumbai Indians in the final.

Additionally, the Heat drafted West Indian all-rounder Chinelle Henry with their third-round pick after opting out of their second-round pick. The 29-year-old right-hand batter and right-arm medium pacer matched the record for the fastest fifty in the tournament, reaching an 18-ball half-century. She concluded the tournament with the highest strike rate of 196 in the league.

South African all-rounder Nadine de Klerk was picked in the fourth round, having previously secured a multi-year contract last season to remain with Brisbane for WBBL 11.

The inclusion of Rodrigues and Henry expands Brisbane's roster to 11 players, leaving four spots yet to be filled. One of these upcoming signings will occur following the T20 Spring Challenge, which will serve as a precursor to the WBBL.

Current WBBL Brisbane Heat squad for WBBL 11 (as of now): Jess Jonassen, Nadine de Klerk (South Africa), Chinelle Henry (West Indies), Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Grace Harris, Charli Knott, Grace Parsons, Georgia Redmayne, Jemimah Rodrigues (India).