New Delhi, Dec 10 (IANS) Former India batter Aakash Chopra believes a possible elevation of Jemimah Rodrigues as captain of Delhi Capitals for the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 season will make for an intriguing storyline.
With Meg Lanning roped in by UP Warriorz during last month’s mega auction, Jemimah is a front-runner to be DC’s captain in WPL 2026, especially with team owner Parth Jindal stating that an Indian player will be made the side’s skipper. Jemimah had been the vice-captain when Meg captained DC to the WPL finals thrice.
“Between Marizanne Kapp and Annabel Sutherland, you already have eight quality overs. We’ve spoken about Nandini Sharma; she can be the third bowling option. DC have two excellent spinners in Sneh Rana and Shree Charani, and Chinelle Henry adds strong fast-bowling support.”
“With their overseas players, they can easily get ten overs, if not twelve. If Nandini Sharma plays, she gives them even more pace-bowling depth. Their spin attack is already impressive.”
“But the most interesting aspect is how Jemimah Rodrigues captains this side. We’ve seen her flourish as a player and as a strong team personality, but this is her first time leading a successful franchise. It’s a big elevation and will be fascinating to watch,” said Chopra on JioStar.
Saba Karim, the former India wicketkeeper-batter and national selector, believes that with the new additions DC have got, they should cross the line if they manage to enter the final, to be played on February 5 at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.
“For Delhi Capitals, the auction has never been the issue; it is about how they finish the tournament. Despite having match-winners in the line-up, for some inexplicable reason, they haven’t been able to cross the line in key knockout moments. Can they do it this time? They had a purse of 5.7 crore and worked very intelligently.”
“Chinelle Henry at 1.30 crore is a smart buy. Laura Wolvaardt at the top will add stability. They’ve addressed their spin options with Shree Charani and Sneh Rana, and Rana can contribute runs down the order.”
“They clearly want players who can finish games for them, which is why someone like Sneh Rana at No. 8 or 9 becomes important. So, while finishing has been an issue for DC, they have done some sharp work at the auction table,” he said.
–IANS
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