Jemimah Rodrigues has set her sights on Lord's Cricket Ground as the venue where India's women could script history at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, drawing a direct parallel to Kapil Dev's legendary 1983 World Cup triumph at the same ground. The 25-year-old batter, speaking to the ICC, said lifting the maiden Women's T20 World Cup title at Lord's would be 'super cool' for the side.

'Kapil Dev and the Indian men's team won their first-ever World Cup there. We would love to win our first-ever Women's T20 World Cup there. That would be super cool,' Jemimah said.

How the ODI World Cup win changed everything

Jemimah's ambitions are rooted in a hard-earned belief. Her unbeaten 127 off 134 balls in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup semi-final against Australia last year — a match-winning chase widely regarded as one of the finest innings in women's cricket — helped India clinch their maiden ODI World Cup title in Navi Mumbai. That victory, she says, has not eased the hunger — it has sharpened it.

'The monkey is off the back. But I don't think it's pressure. I think it's more motivation because now you've tasted what it feels like to lift one World Cup. It makes you want one more and then one more and then one more. So I think the team is even more motivated and even more eager,' she said.

Character under pressure

Jemimah was emphatic about the mental fabric of the current Indian squad, pointing to their ability to perform in knockout situations as a defining trait.

'This team has character. When you want to win big games, you need people with character, people who are different in their own way, but they have a thing that they'll do anything to win the match. That kind of an attitude. And I think that's great character. That's why in any situation, I believe our team will find a way to win a match,' she said.

She cited a high-pressure chase against Pakistan in the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup as evidence — India needed 41 runs off 24 balls and still got over the line. 'I think that was very special for me and I still remember that,' she recalled.

Jemimah's personal journey: from dropped to decisive

Reflecting on her own path, Jemimah revealed that she had been dropped from the squad four years ago ahead of a World Cup and had endured two ducks in the recent tournament before her breakthrough semi-final knock. She described the setbacks as essential preparation.

'I was going through a lot of anxiety, not doing well, got two ducks in the tournament, was dropped and four years ago, I was dropped from the Cricket World Cup. This was my first World Cup. What I realised is that sometimes all you have got to do is show up because life has a way of making all things work together for good,' she said.

'Those four years actually trained me for such a moment as that, because I had to use all that experience that all the failures in all those years taught me maybe for such a time as that,' she added.

India's T20 World Cup campaign: fixtures and group

India have been placed in Group 1 for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 in England and Wales, alongside Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side open their campaign against Pakistan on 14 June at Edgbaston, Birmingham. With Lord's hosting the final, India's dream scenario is firmly in sight.