“My honour to do so”: Jemimah Rodrigues honoured to be the first Indian cricketer to sign for Melbourne Stars in Big Bash League

Jemimah Rodrigues: The Indian batter will become the first-ever player from her team to represent Melbourne Stars.

India batter Jemimah Rodrigues, 22, has switched teams in the Women’s Big Bash League. Rodrigues, who had represented Melbourne Renegades in the last season of WBBL, will be plying her trade for Melbourne Stars in the upcoming season.

Second-highest run-scorer after her India captain Harmanpreet Kaur for Renegades in WBBL 7, Rodrigues’ 333 runs had come at an average and strike rate of 27.75 and 116.43 respectively including a couple of half-centuries.

Even in Commonwealth Games Women’s Cricket Competition 2022 in England last month, Rodrigues was India’s second-best batter behind Kaur scoring 146 runs at an average and strike rate of 73 and 116.80 respectively.

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Having had stints in the Kia Super League (Yorkshire Diamonds) and The Hundred (Northern Superchargers) apart from her WBBL stint, Rodrigues hasn’t been averse to T20 leagues in her brief career thus far.

Jemimah Rodrigues honoured to be the first Indian cricketer to sign for Melbourne Stars in Big Bash League

Stars, who had hinted at signing an Indian cricketer via a tweet yesterday, have signed their first-ever Indian cricketer in Rodrigues. Having said that, Rodrigues is highly likely to miss their first two WBBL 2022-23 matches on October 15 and 16 due to international commitments.

“I am super excited to be a part of the Stars family. I’ve been told that I’m the first ever Indian to sign for the Stars and it is my honour to do so,” Rodrigues said in an official statement. “Melbourne has always been my favourite city in Australia and I can’t wait to get back there!”

Although several female Indian cricketers have been playing in the BBL for a few seasons now, former India U-19 captain Unmukt Chand had become the first male Indian cricketer to participate in the Big Bash League last season. Chand, who had announced his retirement from Indian cricket last year, had played a couple of matches for Renegades in BBL 2021-22.