Jemimah Rodrigues ruled out of Australia ODIs due to viral fever; Tejal Hasabnis replaces her ahead of Women's World Cup 2025. (Image Credit: NDTV Sports)
Jemimah Rodrigues has been excluded from the rest of the ODI series against Australia because of viral fever, confirmed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday. The young batswoman is being replaced by Tejal Hasabnis with an average of 46.66 in six ODIs. The BCCI Medical Team will keep monitoring Rodrigues' recovery process very closely, as the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 is just under two weeks from now. Rodrigues is likely to be a key player for India in the forthcoming international tournament.
Jemimah was disappointing in the first game of the series against Australia, making only 18 off 26 balls as India scored 281/7. Her teammate Smriti Mandhana, just named the best batter in the ICC Women's ODI Rankings, was in her element with a classy half-century. Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol also chipped in useful runs. But Australia easily chased the target due to impressive performances by Phoebe Litchfield and Beth Mooney.
Tejal Hasabnis' addition injects new choices into India's batting order. Having played six ODIs and posting a healthy average of 46.66, Hasabnis will be able to strengthen India's middle order. Her capacity to anchor innings and rotate strike may be vital, particularly in the tight games in the run-up to the World Cup.
The second ODI of the three-match series will be held today at Mullanpur. India will try to recover from the first match loss and try out the depth of their squad without Rodrigues. The series is also a last chance for the players to sharpen their form before the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025.
India ODI team to play Australia now stands: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, Richa Ghosh (WK), Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani, Sneh Rana, Uma Chetry (WK), Tejal Hasabnis. Standby players are Prema Rawat and Priya Mishra.
The BCCI’s decision to bring in Hasabnis reflects their intent to maintain squad balance while ensuring Rodrigues’ fitness for the World Cup. India will now look to regroup and register a strong performance in the remaining ODIs before heading into the global stage.
