"I am really looking forward to the SA tour. It's my first trip with the Indian team," said Mumbai girl Jemimah Rodrigues ahead of the team's departure to the Rainbow Nation.
"Everyone has supported me really well and they have not made me feel like I am a new girl or the youngest one in the team. They have gelled up well with me. I am a bit nervous, but I am excited too," said Rodrigues, who has made headlines with her breath-taking performances in the domestic circuit.
The girl also met cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, who gave a pep talk to the members of the women's cricket team, before they flew to South Africa.
Rodrigues cherishes the moment saying Tendulkar gave the team members a lot of confidence ahead of their tour.
"Meeting Sachin sir was an awe moment for each one of us. He's one of the best examples of a good batsman, but more than that a humble human being. He spoke to each one of us, gave us many fine tips, and made us feel comfortable and answered our questions," she said.
"Whenever I get a chance, I will be happy to play there, perform and do well for the team," the right-handed batswoman said about her chance of making into the playing eleven.
Rodrigues said she did get nervous when she first met teammates - skipper Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami - and termed the former as her idol.
"The first time I got very nervous. Mithali Raj is my idol in Indian cricket and seeing them batting and working so hard in the nets is an inspiration for me," she said.
The young cricketer also threw light on her journey so far saying she had worked hard to get into the national team.
"Honestly speaking, I have been working really hard for many years. Even last year, I had good performances in the U-19. But in the senior level I wasn't performing, so this time I worked even harder with my dad and my coaches, trying to improve on areas that I was failing in last year," she said.
"Everybody was really supportive and talking about the tips, they would come up to me individually in the nets (like when I was batting with Smriti Mandhana or Poonam di Raut) and give me some feedback. So that's really good. Its fun and exciting to be with the team," she signed off.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
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