Former India batter Veda Krishnamurthy has expressed firm confidence in Jemimah Rodrigues ahead of India's clash against South Africa on Sunday in the Women's T20 World Cup 2026, insisting the right-hander has the quality to turn her tournament around despite a muted start.

Jemimah's Struggles So Far

Rodrigues has had a difficult opening to the tournament, managing just 1 run against Pakistan before scoring 19 against Netherlands — a knock that showed promise but failed to convert into a significant contribution. The back-to-back underwhelming outings have raised questions about her form at the T20 World Cup level.

What Krishnamurthy Said

'You can't be too worried about Jemimah Rodrigues' performances so far in this T20 World Cup. She is too good a player to be judged on a few games. She knows she has a big role to play in this campaign. It is just about confidence,' Krishnamurthy said on JioStar.

The former batter pointed to Rodrigues' ODI World Cup record as proof of her calibre. 'Yes, her numbers in T20 World Cups haven't been great, but she proved herself in the 50-over World Cup. The knock against New Zealand and the match-winning innings in the semi-final against Australia showed what she is capable of,' she added.

Krishnamurthy also stressed the importance of continued support from the team management. 'She has the backing of the team and the management. They need to keep giving her that confidence. One good innings is all it takes to get back into rhythm. She looked solid against the Netherlands. The timing was better, and she seemed more settled. It is only a matter of time before she plays a big knock, which I feel is right around the corner,' she said.

The South Africa Threat: Nadine de Klerk in Focus

Krishnamurthy also assessed the challenge posed by South African all-rounder Nadine de Klerk, noting that familiarity through the Women's Premier League (WPL) gives India a tactical edge. 'Many of them have also been teammates in the WPL. With Nadine de Klerk playing for RCB, Smriti Mandhana knows her game well. Richa Ghosh, Arundhati Reddy, and Radha Yadav also know her strengths and weaknesses from their time together in the same squad,' she said.

Notably, Krishnamurthy flagged an unusual deployment of de Klerk in South Africa's first match. 'The way South Africa used Nadine in the first game was surprising. She didn't bowl until the 12th over. She was also sent in at number four, even though she has mostly played as a finisher in white-ball cricket. That is where she has been most effective. There has been a lot of role-switching,' she observed.

India's Confidence Heading Into the Clash

Despite the South African challenge, Krishnamurthy backed India's mental edge. 'The key point is that now there is a lot of information available. Teams have watched plenty of videos. Players understand each other well. Yes, Nadine is a threat on her day, but the confidence the Indian team currently has is something I want to back,' she said.

With India needing a strong performance to build momentum in the Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Sunday's match against South Africa could prove a turning point — both for the team and for Rodrigues personally.