Jemimah Rodrigues says 2025 World Cup victory has fuelled India Women’s appetite ahead of Champions Trophy 2027

Jemimah Rodrigues said in Mumbai on August 11, 2026, on JioHotstar’s 'Follow the Blues' that India’s 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup triumph has increased the team’s hunger for further success as they prepare for the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in February 2027.

Rodrigues described the Champions Trophy as a special moment for women’s cricket and stressed that the team’s priority remains collective success. She said India’s recent World Cup win “has fuelled the team’s desire to stay at the top” and added that tasting success once makes the team want to return to that position. She emphasised the importance of unity in pursuit of more victories.

On the programme Rodrigues expanded on that thought, saying: “It’s happening for the first time ever in women’s cricket, and I’ll be a part of it for the first time as well, so it’ll be pretty special, and I’m really looking forward to it. I think mindset-wise, nothing changes. At the end of the day, it’s about the team and how to make the team win, and that always stays.”

The ICC Women’s Champions Trophy is slated to be played in February 2027, and Rodrigues framed the event as a milestone for the women’s game. Ahead of that tournament, India will tour South Africa in December for seven fixtures: a one-off Test in Gqeberha starting December 9, a three-match ODI series beginning December 16, and three T20 internationals from December 26.

Describing the South Africa tour as an "exciting series," Rodrigues pointed to the recent frequency of matches between the two sides and the competitive form of both teams. She said: "It’s going to be a really exciting series for sure. Both teams have been doing really well. We’ve had a lot of rivalry lately and played a lot of matches against South Africa. I think it’s going to be great, with two of the top teams in the world facing each other in South Africa. It’s going to be a great challenge, and we’re really looking forward to it."

Rodrigues’ summer in England was interrupted when a hamstring injury curtailed her 2026 The Hundred campaign, but she had an influential role for Southern Brave before the injury. The article notes she produced two Player of the Match performances that helped Southern Brave qualify for the playoffs and that she had joined the side as a direct signing for £60,000 (approximately US$80,000).

Those December fixtures in South Africa will precede the inaugural Champions Trophy in February 2027, providing India with a multi-format preparation block before the tournament Rodrigues has described as "very special" and which she will attend as a player for the first time.