India batter Jemimah Rodrigues has suffered a hamstring injury and will miss the remainder of The Hundred, raising concerns over her availability for the upcoming Women’s T20 Asia Cup.
Rodrigues was playing for Southern Brave in the Women’s Hundred and had emerged as one of the team’s key performers. The franchise confirmed on Saturday that the India star would take no further part in the tournament because of the injury.
Southern Brave have signed Australian all-rounder Charli Knott as Rodrigues’ replacement for the remainder of the competition.
“Wishing you a speedy recovery, Jemi,” Southern Brave said while announcing the replacement.
Jemimah Rodrigues injury: What happened?
The full extent of Rodrigues’ hamstring injury has not yet been disclosed. Her recovery timeline will be crucial, particularly with India’s Women’s T20 Asia Cup campaign scheduled to begin later this month.
Rodrigues had made a strong impact for Southern Brave after joining the franchise as a direct signing. She scored 143 runs in six innings and played an important role in the team’s campaign.
Southern Brave are currently joint-top of the Women’s Hundred standings with Trent Rockets on 20 points, although the Rockets occupy first place because of their superior net run rate.
With Rodrigues ruled out, Southern Brave will now have to continue their campaign without one of their leading batters.
Will Jemimah Rodrigues play in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup?
Rodrigues’ injury has also raised questions over her availability for India’s upcoming Women’s T20 Asia Cup campaign.
India are scheduled to begin their tournament against Thailand in Dubai on August 30. That gives Rodrigues around three weeks to recover and establish her fitness, although her selection will ultimately depend on the severity of the injury and medical assessment.
India have been placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Thailand, Hong Kong and China. Each team will play the others once in the group stage, with the top two sides advancing to the semi-finals.
The tournament’s semi-finals are scheduled for September 10 and 11, while the final will be played on September 13.
India aim to defend their strong Asia Cup record
India are the most successful team in the history of the Women’s Asia Cup. They have won the competition seven times, including three T20 titles in 2012, 2016 and 2022.
Sri Lanka enter the tournament as the defending champions and have been placed in Group B alongside Bangladesh, the UAE and Indonesia.
For India, Rodrigues’ fitness will be closely monitored in the lead-up to the tournament. Her absence would leave the team with an important batting decision to make ahead of their opening game against Thailand.
For now, Rodrigues’ priority will be recovering from the hamstring injury, while India will await further updates on her fitness before finalising their plans for the Asia Cup.
